Great writing comes in many shapes and sizes, from a single sentence of stunning lyricism or profound insight to an epic novel that captures a particular time and place in all its complexity, or an essay that succeeds as much because of its form as its content.

Important writing has a narrower spectrum. It’s less likely to be lyrical, or aesthetically pleasing, or experientially evocative. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a pleasure to read for a variety of other reasons: a good story, a compell...