Zadie Smith talks about the essay in the Guardian:
For Samuel Johnson in 1755 it is: “A loose sally of the mind; an irregular undigested piece; not a regularly and orderly composition.” And if this looks to us like one of Johnson’s lexical eccentricities, we’re chastened to find Joseph Addison, of all people, in agreement (“The wildness of these compositions that go by the name of essays”) and behind them both three centuries of vaguely negative connotation. Beginning in the 1500s an essay is: the action or process of trying or testing; a sample, an example; a rehearsal; an attempt or endeavour; a trying to do something; a rough copy; a first draft. Not until the mid 19th century does it take on its familiar, neutral ring: “a composition more or less elaborate in style, though limited in range.” Which is it, though, that attracts novelists – the comforts of limit or the freedom of irregularity?
I love reading really good ones–but there are so many mediocre essays in the world it’s hard to find the gems. Does anyone have any recommendations? I like pieces that are willing to range across disciplines, particularly things like history, language, anthropology, economics and neuroscience. But I’ll read almost anything if it’s good enough.
I love writing essays, too. I write them less often since I began blogging. But I have a lot–and they’re all over the map, but they always try to connect the dots of a variety of disciplines and/or genres. It’s been interesting to work with Kelley on the last two, figuring out how to make our (very) different processes mesh. It’s not just that our ‘writing’ process is different, it’s that our personal non-fiction and fiction processes are different, too, and what I know about novel writing doesn’t apply to an essay on, say, gendered language. (I need to rewrite that essay; some of it is wrong. I know more now than I did then…)
Anyway, as I say, I have a lot of essays now, a book’s worth, and was wondering what the market might be like for a collection. Any thoughts on the matter will be happily received…
Nicola Griffith 
I honestly don't really like short-form for fiction or non-fiction. Which is just my own preference.
Interesting. I like that “truthiness” no longer needs explanation! I'm skimming and don't have time to read it all, but it seems Shields turned to nonfiction because he was basically bored with fiction. Funny, I've done the opposite. I'm sick of reality, so I'm now drawn to fiction.
I like Anna Quindlen. Sadly, she's given up her Newsweek gig. A lot of her columns have been compiled in books, but the thing is, they quickly become dated. I mean that of all essays, not just hers. She's more in the feminist/politics vein. Not so broad reaching.
I also like Joan Didion.
I was a nonfiction reader and essay writer before writing fiction and it's been a hard transition.
I think you are a particularly good essayist and would love to see a collection! As your awesomeness grows, you're bound to find some interest, both from readers and publishers.
;)
I love the short form in fiction and non, so I'd love to see some great essays. But I think for a book, there needs to be a tie – in besides just you and your brand of awesomeness. I think it's got to be all around one subject or theme. Just thinking of markets and flap-copy.
I'd certainly at least look at a volume of your essays, Nicola, and probably buy it.
I love essays. Gore Vidal, Max Beerbohm (take a look at “The Fire” in Yet Again, Victoria Brownsworth, Virginia Woolf, Dorothy Allison, James Baldwin, Jane Rule … there must be more, but those come to mind or are handy on the shelves. I might even toot my own horn and claim that I've written some pretty good short nonfiction prose, like the essay reviews that appeared in Gay Community News years ago. Some of what I'm calling essays here might stretch over into journalism, I admit, or literary criticism. Or science writing — would Stephen Jay Gould's essays in natural history work for you? Sure, there are plenty of bad essays out there, as there is of every kind of writing. Didn't Theodore Sturgeon famously say something about that? But there's still a lot of good writing to be read, and reread.
P.S. Did Smith actually write about the history of essays without mentioning this guy called Michel de Montaigne? It looks like she did.
I love essays. I read and write several every week as I work toward my anthropology degree. I think you should try to make friends with a university librarian in order to gain access to university journal databases. I am so used to being able to look up any published document on any subject on a whim, I dread the day I get shut out of the system.
If you were to publish a volume of essays I would totally buy it. I love the transition between fiction prose and essay prose. Certain essay themes seem to always sell: nature writing, feminist writing…
F.S.
I read all of the essays you have on your website when I first went there and really enjoyed them.
Typically though, I'm not a big essay reader. I was going to say that I have no essay collections in my house, but after thinking about this I realized I do have a few. (and maybe some I didn't identify as such)
I read a fair amount of non-fiction – usually about something specific I want to learn more about. But I prefer non-fiction. I want to be transported to another time/place/world when I read for fun.
I don't think a lot of people read essays anymore, but I was surprised at dinner on Thursday by someone who started quoting from and essay she had read. And thought of this post and realized I might be wrong.
Anyway, I will of course buy anything you ever publish.
Okay, will ponder on the essays thing. Thank you, all.