What the Hell is an Essay, Anyway?

Well… it can be almost anything, really.

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

Essays didn’t always exist. Most scholars credit the French magistrate Michel de Montaigne for the invention of this genre. Realizing that thinkers need more than just formal academic writing to develop knowledge, Montaigne wanted a kind of writing that is more flexible and personal. He wanted to get quick feedback on his ideas, but…