“The Essayist At Work,” Creative Nonfiction’s first special issue, highlights the actual process of writing nonfiction. In contrast to the term “reportage,” the word “essay” usually connotes a more personal message from writer to reader, and the pieces here do just that. In this volume, writers explore the merits of email, reasons for running, and the form of essays themselves. Others reflect on their own development from imitator to artist. All, however, address and exemplify what Alice Steinbach distills as simply “paying attention.”
Also in this issue are conversations with Diane Ackerman, Paul West, and John McPhee.
