a good backlash needs a medium

The Arts and Crafts Movement arose in the late 19th Century, countering the prevailing trend toward scientific discovery, standardization, and mass production that defined the Second Industrial Revolution. For some, mechanization only highlighted the superior value of its opposite: building things by hand. The result was design and architecture that emphasized craftsmanship and artistic quality in everyday objects. Seen by some at the time as anachronistic, the movement went on to influence modern design. It's a great example of how two contrary phenomena can coexist. History isn't so tidy as "this happened, then that." It's worth resisting our brain's tendency to oversimplify things - less cognitive effort comes at the cost of shallower understanding. 

This appreciation of nuance segues to why personal essay is an appropriate artistic medium for a backlash to content that aims to secure your attention in three seconds. If content generated by artificial intelligence to compete in the attention economy is the next iteration of mechanization and mass production, personal essay provides one form through which a counter-trend can evolve that elevates the value of human creativity. 

In the introduction to his volume, The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present, Lopate (1995, p. XXIV) provides this description of the form: "The personal essay has an open form and a drive toward candor and self-disclosure. Unlike the formal essay, it depends less on airtight reasoning than on style and personality." It represents one of three general categories of essay, according to Oates and Atwan (2000), the other two being (1) opinion pieces meant to instruct the reader, and (2), pieces that impart information and knowledge. 

Algorithmic curation isn't going anywhere, of course. Personal essay, though, offers an additional avenue through which to engage with information and ideas. It's a form in which exploration, experimentation, contradiction, uncertainty, honesty, and humility are valued. Lapote (1995, p. Xlii) goes on to  highlight personal essay as a "mode of thinking and being." It's the polar opposite of influencers whose degree of certainty is inversely correlated to their expertise. 

My hope is that this site could offer a bit of fun. A reminder to hold our ideas with a light grip, to share them with an even lighter touch. If you find anything thought-provoking or entertaining, and I've developed a thought more deeply by doing something I love, than it's worth a bit of effort on both our parts. 

References

Lopate, P. (1995). The Art of the Personal Essay : an Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present. Anchor Books.

 Oates, J. C., & Atwan, R. (2000). The best American essays of the century. Houghton Mifflin Co.