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Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy: Advice and Confessions on Writing, Love, and Cannibals
Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy,
I have a hot crush on the em dash. What does my need to stuff—while simultaneously fracturing—my sentences—with the meandering, the explanatory, the discursive, the perhaps not-entirely-necessary—say about me?
—Cheryl Strayed
Have you ever wished there were an advice columnist for writers, but one who didn’t take things so damned seriously? This unique writing guide pairs questions sent in by top contemporary essayists with hilariously witty answers and essays from acclaimed author Dinty W. Moore. Phillip Lopate asks for advice on writing about your ex without sounding like an ass, Julianna Baggott worries that to be a great writer you must drink like a fish, and Roxane Gay asks whether it’s kosher to write about writing.
Taking advantage of all the tools available to today’s personal essayist—egregious puns, embarrassing anecdotes, and cocktail napkins—Professor Moore answers these questions, and more, demystifying the world of nonfiction once and for all. With a tip of the hat to history’s most infamous essay—Montaigne’s “Of Cannibals”—this book provides rollicking relief for writers in distress.
I have a hot crush on the em dash. What does my need to stuff—while simultaneously fracturing—my sentences—with the meandering, the explanatory, the discursive, the perhaps not-entirely-necessary—say about me?
—Cheryl Strayed
Have you ever wished there were an advice columnist for writers, but one who didn’t take things so damned seriously? This unique writing guide pairs questions sent in by top contemporary essayists with hilariously witty answers and essays from acclaimed author Dinty W. Moore. Phillip Lopate asks for advice on writing about your ex without sounding like an ass, Julianna Baggott worries that to be a great writer you must drink like a fish, and Roxane Gay asks whether it’s kosher to write about writing.
Taking advantage of all the tools available to today’s personal essayist—egregious puns, embarrassing anecdotes, and cocktail napkins—Professor Moore answers these questions, and more, demystifying the world of nonfiction once and for all. With a tip of the hat to history’s most infamous essay—Montaigne’s “Of Cannibals”—this book provides rollicking relief for writers in distress.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published August 18, 2015
42 people are currently reading
433 people want to read
About the author
Dinty W. Moore
34 books193 followersDinty W. Moore is author of the award-winning memoir Between Panic & Desire, the writing guides The Story Cure and Crafting the Personal Essay, and many other books. He has published essays and stories in The Georgia Review, Harper’s, The New York Times Magazine, The Southern Review, Kenyon Review, Creative Nonfiction, and elsewhere. He is founding editor of Brevity, the journal of flash nonfiction, and teaches master classes and workshops across the United States as well as in Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, and Mexico.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
July 17, 2017
Meh. This was supposed to be an amusing writer's guide, with Q&A about the quirks of writing, but I didn't find it particularly funny or helpful. Maybe you will like it more.
August 21, 2015
Clever , witty and somewhat entertaining. A few known authors write in with questions as well as others. Dinty makes a clever, ironic reply and then proceeds to write an essay as an example to his reply. Hard to do, I think. But alas, became a little less funny at the end, think it was a good idea to keep this short.
May 1, 2015
Originally reviewed at So many Books, So little time
Disclaimer: The tone and candour of my review is inspired from the writer's in the book. No offence meant.
How can you read non-fiction like this and not fall in love with the genre? The whole genre owes you, sir. Or to your humor. I am not sure if we can separate the two, would you answer that for me.
Well, for starters you know you will fall into this book as soon as it opens because of well, this:
Hilarity ensues from page one. To say that the book has wit and sarcasm at its best seems an understatement. Our essay writer guy here answers to one of the letters, "I believe the best way to avoid coming off as a male chauvinist pig might be to not be a male chauvinist pig? Is that a stretch?"
And this is just the first answer, well, part of it. To think I was on a rollercoaster of laughter these entire 8 hours that I was reading the book. Okay, not entire though. There was this instance where the writer launched into some story about Zebras. I felt dozing off would be insulting so I just skimmed through it. But don't tell this to anyone- I've read the whole book otherwise.
From questions about em dash, and writing on napkins, to graphics that simply make you want to double up- what is not to devour in the book? The author has given and taken insults alike.
One thing is certain: the author will not write about his daughter. Why, you ask? "Whatever I wrote about my daughter, I had to live with it, and so did she, and I didn't want to screw the relationship up more than my ineptitude and the vicissitudes of her becoming a teenager already had."
The humor does not mean there's no wisdom. The author has cloaked the knowledge and insights about writing in wit. After all, what better way to teach than through humor- the universally attractive element?
Will I buy this book? Most definitely I will! Do I recommend this book? In case you haven't read the entire review, most definitely I do!
Disclaimer: The tone and candour of my review is inspired from the writer's in the book. No offence meant.
How can you read non-fiction like this and not fall in love with the genre? The whole genre owes you, sir. Or to your humor. I am not sure if we can separate the two, would you answer that for me.
Well, for starters you know you will fall into this book as soon as it opens because of well, this:
Hilarity ensues from page one. To say that the book has wit and sarcasm at its best seems an understatement. Our essay writer guy here answers to one of the letters, "I believe the best way to avoid coming off as a male chauvinist pig might be to not be a male chauvinist pig? Is that a stretch?"
And this is just the first answer, well, part of it. To think I was on a rollercoaster of laughter these entire 8 hours that I was reading the book. Okay, not entire though. There was this instance where the writer launched into some story about Zebras. I felt dozing off would be insulting so I just skimmed through it. But don't tell this to anyone- I've read the whole book otherwise.
From questions about em dash, and writing on napkins, to graphics that simply make you want to double up- what is not to devour in the book? The author has given and taken insults alike.
One thing is certain: the author will not write about his daughter. Why, you ask? "Whatever I wrote about my daughter, I had to live with it, and so did she, and I didn't want to screw the relationship up more than my ineptitude and the vicissitudes of her becoming a teenager already had."
The humor does not mean there's no wisdom. The author has cloaked the knowledge and insights about writing in wit. After all, what better way to teach than through humor- the universally attractive element?
Will I buy this book? Most definitely I will! Do I recommend this book? In case you haven't read the entire review, most definitely I do!
August 28, 2015
This book surfaced on a list of newly-released nonfiction sent to me either by my local public library or Goodreads. Being on a nonfiction kick lately (primarily celebrity memoirs), I was intrigued by the book's premise. Moore, an essayist/author I am not familiar with, solicited questions from popular essayists to discuss various aspects of writing. Considering the description included a question from Cheryl Strayed, an author whose writing I've thoroughly enjoyed, I thought this series of essays would be fun to read.
I appreciated the premise of the book, as I imagine it may be challenging for a full-time writer to generate ideas to write about. Considering I was impressed by the essays Strayed composed in her advice column, Dear Sugar, I was hoping for a comical counterpart. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The quality of essays was incredibly scattered. Some captivated me, but I found myself daydreaming while reading others. One "essay" was a series of napkin pictures, another was a flowchart, and another was a compilation of Facebook status updates. Whether Moore meant to or not, some of these efforts seemed half-assed. I was even more disappointed when I read some fine print at the end of the book indicating that some of the pieces were republished for this book with permission.
I had hoped that the book would introduce me to some new essayists, and it certainly did that. However, the book did not inspire me to pursue any of their books (which makes sense, as their writing is not showcased in this book). I'd considered researching the works by each of the essayists, but opted to avoid opening the book again and instead pursue recommendations from friends and family.
In summary, I would not recommend this book to others.
I appreciated the premise of the book, as I imagine it may be challenging for a full-time writer to generate ideas to write about. Considering I was impressed by the essays Strayed composed in her advice column, Dear Sugar, I was hoping for a comical counterpart. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The quality of essays was incredibly scattered. Some captivated me, but I found myself daydreaming while reading others. One "essay" was a series of napkin pictures, another was a flowchart, and another was a compilation of Facebook status updates. Whether Moore meant to or not, some of these efforts seemed half-assed. I was even more disappointed when I read some fine print at the end of the book indicating that some of the pieces were republished for this book with permission.
I had hoped that the book would introduce me to some new essayists, and it certainly did that. However, the book did not inspire me to pursue any of their books (which makes sense, as their writing is not showcased in this book). I'd considered researching the works by each of the essayists, but opted to avoid opening the book again and instead pursue recommendations from friends and family.
In summary, I would not recommend this book to others.
September 23, 2015
Wry and sarcastic, Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy is a delightful book to have on your shelf--even if you're not a writer. Filled with questions about em-dashes, Facebook, Zebras, cocktail napkins, and polar bears, to name a few, Moore responds with essays in a myriad of forms, which will delight readers.
I really enjoyed the blend of humor and helpful that Moore employed throughout his answers. Even his illustrations sprinkled throughout the book tie into the questions he's asked to answer; polar bears included.
As a writer myself, even though I write fiction primarily, I found myself giggling as I read through the different responses to the questions provided by some of today's top contemporary essayists. Definitely a fun gift idea for the writer in your circle.
-Book provided by Blogging For Books, in exchange for a review
I really enjoyed the blend of humor and helpful that Moore employed throughout his answers. Even his illustrations sprinkled throughout the book tie into the questions he's asked to answer; polar bears included.
As a writer myself, even though I write fiction primarily, I found myself giggling as I read through the different responses to the questions provided by some of today's top contemporary essayists. Definitely a fun gift idea for the writer in your circle.
-Book provided by Blogging For Books, in exchange for a review
June 3, 2015
Until about halfway done, the book was good. Not great in any sense, but it was funny and interesting to see how weird the questions could be, and how the responses and the essays left them in the dust when it came to weirdness. I loved the formatting (as a big fan of Courier New) and the interior design looked gorgeous.
Like I said, until about halfway done.
After that, it got boring. The questions got boring, the replies got boring, the essays were the most boring of all. This is a 208-page book and I suffered through the last 120 pages, which, in fact, makes more than the half of this book. The only thing that kept me reading was the drawings of polar bears.
Overall, 1.5-2/5.
Like I said, until about halfway done.
After that, it got boring. The questions got boring, the replies got boring, the essays were the most boring of all. This is a 208-page book and I suffered through the last 120 pages, which, in fact, makes more than the half of this book. The only thing that kept me reading was the drawings of polar bears.
Overall, 1.5-2/5.
September 16, 2015
(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.)
Moore answers questions from other writers on advice for writing. After answering their questions, Moore then writes an essay to accompany that question. This is definitely not a dry how-to-guide. Moore has a wry and sarcastic sense of humour but it does wear on you sometimes as it is too in your face. It wasn't a book for me but it is well-written.
Moore answers questions from other writers on advice for writing. After answering their questions, Moore then writes an essay to accompany that question. This is definitely not a dry how-to-guide. Moore has a wry and sarcastic sense of humour but it does wear on you sometimes as it is too in your face. It wasn't a book for me but it is well-written.
September 3, 2015
Forty percent done – no laughs, no known names, no interest – bar some unusual essay formats and constructions, and changes in line length (wow!). It might be a North America-only thing, but for me this never travelled beyond the author's own ego, let alone across the Atlantic. You know those essays where Woody Allen spurts a whole load of Yiddish nobody outside ten blocks of New York could ever understand? Yup, I almost understood the appeal of those more.
August 22, 2015
It was fun and wholly interesting at the beginning. I was really really enjoying myself. But then it eventually bored me.
November 23, 2015
I'm finished already. I didn't find it particularly amusing or edifying. There was little here.
September 30, 2022
I loved this book. It is short, has bite-sized chapters and is funny.
First, what a great idea: get writers you know to postcard you questions about writing. The questions are hardly staid and serious. The concept is tongue in cheek to start, and continues to finish.
Second, Moore's responses are original and funny
Third, the format of the essay responses are an education in essay format (warning: I am in love with all the possibilities of lyric essay - braided, hermit crab, collage - and the more the essay strays from the common serious, education, too often traumatic essay, the more I like it). (The cannibals come from Montaigne who is sprinkled through the book.)
excerpts:
(introduction) The book you are holding here tackles more urgent questions, questions more relevant to the modern reader, questions such as "what is the essay? and why? And how ought we to feel about it, given that there is nothing on television this evening?"
The father of the essay, it seems, lacked a simple notebook and pencil. this, as a matter of fact, is why we now have university degrees focused on the writing of nonfiction, so that such catastrophic oversights ever occur again.
*
(a chapter taken from his FB posts, in response to Brenda Miller...he apparently liked to post quotes and I LOVE this one)
The writer of nonfiction might be starting with events that really happened, but recreating them is an imaginative feat. Ordering them is an imaginative feat. Making sense of them is an imaginative feat. Robin Hemley
*
First, what a great idea: get writers you know to postcard you questions about writing. The questions are hardly staid and serious. The concept is tongue in cheek to start, and continues to finish.
Second, Moore's responses are original and funny
Third, the format of the essay responses are an education in essay format (warning: I am in love with all the possibilities of lyric essay - braided, hermit crab, collage - and the more the essay strays from the common serious, education, too often traumatic essay, the more I like it). (The cannibals come from Montaigne who is sprinkled through the book.)
excerpts:
(introduction) The book you are holding here tackles more urgent questions, questions more relevant to the modern reader, questions such as "what is the essay? and why? And how ought we to feel about it, given that there is nothing on television this evening?"
The father of the essay, it seems, lacked a simple notebook and pencil. this, as a matter of fact, is why we now have university degrees focused on the writing of nonfiction, so that such catastrophic oversights ever occur again.
*
(a chapter taken from his FB posts, in response to Brenda Miller...he apparently liked to post quotes and I LOVE this one)
The writer of nonfiction might be starting with events that really happened, but recreating them is an imaginative feat. Ordering them is an imaginative feat. Making sense of them is an imaginative feat. Robin Hemley
*
November 21, 2021
I went into this expecting instruction on essay writing. Instead, it's more of a humorous look at what being a writer means to each person and the questions they have. It's not necessarily a bad book but I didn't take away much that will help me with my own writing. I've enjoyed other books by this author and I'm sure it will land with some writers but it was a miss for me.
August 9, 2022
I guess this Dinty Moore guy is supposed to be funny and supposed to be a remarkable essayist. Hmmm.
Read
May 28, 2017Cute and clever. Which I guess is what it was supposed to be.
August 28, 2015
If you owned all of the self-help/advice books for writers by writers, your neighbors would probably call the fire department and report you for hording. Because nobody wants book-loving to be perceived as a threat to public health, you have to make choices as to which books to buy, keep, and continually reference each time you feel a little blocked, a little frustrated, a little inadequate, or a little in need of a serving of humble pie.
Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy: Advice and Confessions on Writing, Love, and Cannibals, is definitely one of the craft books you should have in your arsenal.
The book follows a three-part structure: A letter to Mister Essay Writer Guy from a fellow author (Cheryl Strayed, Brenda Miller, Judith Kitchen, Lia Purpura, Sue WIlliam Silverman, Roxanne Gay, Lee Gutkind, and other big league creative nonfiction writers), followed by Mister Essay Writer Guy's response in which he gives advice, and then an essay written by Mister Essay Guy in which he follows (sometimes loosely) the advice that he gave. It's kind of brilliant, actually. So what appears to be an advice book on writing (sometimes on craft) is actually a wonderful collection of quippy essays that play with language, form, and subject matter by Dinty W. Moore.
Some of the questions posed and the advice given are important and somewhat serious, but most are not, and that's what separates this book from the heady and heavy texts that are stuffed with useless writing prompts, worksheets, and pep talks that float down from the author who is perched on the pedestal of publishing. How many more of those books do we need on the market? How much else is there to say about what it takes to be a good writer? How many more conversations can we have about the same challenges that are unique to writers?
Dear Mister Essay Writer guy is a refreshing break from all of that self-importance gabbing. This book is good because it's clever, the essays thoughtful and well-written, and the writers seeking advice are the last ones who need it. It's humbling and cute and best of all? There are pictures hand-drawn on cocktail napkins and a Dinty Moore self-portrait.
Read it chronologically in one sitting, skip around the topics, or read it in pieces, but no matter how you approach it, you will definitely read it again. And isn't that the point of a good advice book?
Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy: Advice and Confessions on Writing, Love, and Cannibals, is definitely one of the craft books you should have in your arsenal.
The book follows a three-part structure: A letter to Mister Essay Writer Guy from a fellow author (Cheryl Strayed, Brenda Miller, Judith Kitchen, Lia Purpura, Sue WIlliam Silverman, Roxanne Gay, Lee Gutkind, and other big league creative nonfiction writers), followed by Mister Essay Writer Guy's response in which he gives advice, and then an essay written by Mister Essay Guy in which he follows (sometimes loosely) the advice that he gave. It's kind of brilliant, actually. So what appears to be an advice book on writing (sometimes on craft) is actually a wonderful collection of quippy essays that play with language, form, and subject matter by Dinty W. Moore.
Some of the questions posed and the advice given are important and somewhat serious, but most are not, and that's what separates this book from the heady and heavy texts that are stuffed with useless writing prompts, worksheets, and pep talks that float down from the author who is perched on the pedestal of publishing. How many more of those books do we need on the market? How much else is there to say about what it takes to be a good writer? How many more conversations can we have about the same challenges that are unique to writers?
Dear Mister Essay Writer guy is a refreshing break from all of that self-importance gabbing. This book is good because it's clever, the essays thoughtful and well-written, and the writers seeking advice are the last ones who need it. It's humbling and cute and best of all? There are pictures hand-drawn on cocktail napkins and a Dinty Moore self-portrait.
Read it chronologically in one sitting, skip around the topics, or read it in pieces, but no matter how you approach it, you will definitely read it again. And isn't that the point of a good advice book?
January 12, 2016
Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy is a delightful little book offering writing tips for essayists and other creative nonfiction writers. Famous contemporary authors pose questions about the art of the essay, the craft of writing, and the finer points of grammar. Dinty W. Moore replies in the vein of an advice columnist, answering questions and following with a short essay of his own. The graphic design of the book is also very appealing. Moore includes cartoon drawings, maps and a clever Essay Topic Flowchart. Humorous, flippant, and insightful.
I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.
I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.
February 15, 2017
I picked this up on a whim from my library. The display was for books with no check out history, and I'm a sucker for lonely books.
This has been my companion for the last two evenings. We've spent much of our time together giggling, or at least smirking. On a couple of occasions a stray remark left me smacking my forehead in stupid disbelief- once I was caught so off guard I walked away. But I'm happier for having read this collection.
This has been my companion for the last two evenings. We've spent much of our time together giggling, or at least smirking. On a couple of occasions a stray remark left me smacking my forehead in stupid disbelief- once I was caught so off guard I walked away. But I'm happier for having read this collection.
August 26, 2015
This book was hilarious. Set in a question and answer format, the author answers letters written to him regarding writing. Most of it pertains to non-fiction writing, but anyone can learn a few things by reading this book.
A delightful little page Turner that I read in an afternoon.
A delightful little page Turner that I read in an afternoon.
April 25, 2025
Yes, Dinty W. Moore's "Dear Mr. Essay Writer Guy" is charming and funny. It is also an easy read, as both my wife and I consumed it on our Kindles sitting under umbrellas at the beach. The humorous setup for each chapter -- real authors contribute tongue-in-cheek questions about nonfiction -- leads to sharp insight and very useful advice about writing, although the great advice is often peeking out from behind some silliness or digression.
Both "The Napkin is the Message" and "The Actual Message Mike the Tree Guy Left on My Answering Machine the Evening I Arrived Home to Find that the Tree He Was Cutting Down When I Left for Work That Morning Still Stood Tall in My Side Yard" are brilliant little gems that beautifully illustrate a couple of really important concepts in contemporary art and media, but you won't necessarily realize that at first since you'll be too amused by the surrounding shenanigans.
And then there's "Four Essential Tips for Telling the Truth in Memoir and Securing That Blockbuster Book Deal," the emotional heart of the book, pretending to be a very informative case study in how to stick to both the facts and the essence of a real event but slowly unveils itself to be something of a wry, sidelong look at raw (and a little heartbreaking) childhood memories; I found myself become very quiet inside when I read this chapter.
This is a terrific and entertaining book on the craft of writing, and in the process it helps the reader become a little more skilled in finding guidance and inspiration in those small pieces of our everyday lives that conspire to make us who we are.
Both "The Napkin is the Message" and "The Actual Message Mike the Tree Guy Left on My Answering Machine the Evening I Arrived Home to Find that the Tree He Was Cutting Down When I Left for Work That Morning Still Stood Tall in My Side Yard" are brilliant little gems that beautifully illustrate a couple of really important concepts in contemporary art and media, but you won't necessarily realize that at first since you'll be too amused by the surrounding shenanigans.
And then there's "Four Essential Tips for Telling the Truth in Memoir and Securing That Blockbuster Book Deal," the emotional heart of the book, pretending to be a very informative case study in how to stick to both the facts and the essence of a real event but slowly unveils itself to be something of a wry, sidelong look at raw (and a little heartbreaking) childhood memories; I found myself become very quiet inside when I read this chapter.
This is a terrific and entertaining book on the craft of writing, and in the process it helps the reader become a little more skilled in finding guidance and inspiration in those small pieces of our everyday lives that conspire to make us who we are.
April 25, 2019
'Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy: Advice and Confessions on Writing, Love, and Cannibals' by Dinty W. Moore is a series of questions and answers on a variety of subjects told with some kind of hilarious results.
The book is laid out like an advice column for writers with various questions sent in by famous writers and the answers all being told in the form of various essays. The humor is clever. There is wordplay and lists. There is one essay told with Google map locations (you can look it up in google maps as well). One of my favorites was told with the ubiquitous creativity tool: the cocktail napkin.
I really enjoyed this humorous book about writing. I wasn't as familiar with all the author's mentioned, but that doesn't detract from the fun. And I learned all about Montaigne's obsession with cannibalism along the way.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Ten Speed Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
The book is laid out like an advice column for writers with various questions sent in by famous writers and the answers all being told in the form of various essays. The humor is clever. There is wordplay and lists. There is one essay told with Google map locations (you can look it up in google maps as well). One of my favorites was told with the ubiquitous creativity tool: the cocktail napkin.
I really enjoyed this humorous book about writing. I wasn't as familiar with all the author's mentioned, but that doesn't detract from the fun. And I learned all about Montaigne's obsession with cannibalism along the way.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Ten Speed Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
April 30, 2022
DNF at 70%. I enjoyed the first 60% as mindless entertainment, but after I picked it up again I became suddenly aware of the fact that nothing in this book was actually interesting to me, I was simply reading it the way one reads a magazine in a doctor's office: because it's there. I picked it up and then I read it. But then I picked it up again, and had to ask myself why.
There is no reason. I care very little about the opinion of the average American man. I care even less about the opinion of average American men who talk about how high they were all the time. I feel like I could have written this book, without being high, and the only reason why I haven't is because there is nothing in it worth saying, so why would I.
It gets two stars because it didn't hurt me, and therefore i don't care enough about it to give it only one star.
There is no reason. I care very little about the opinion of the average American man. I care even less about the opinion of average American men who talk about how high they were all the time. I feel like I could have written this book, without being high, and the only reason why I haven't is because there is nothing in it worth saying, so why would I.
It gets two stars because it didn't hurt me, and therefore i don't care enough about it to give it only one star.
May 20, 2021
This saddens me to write, because I truly love Dinty as an instructor and speaker and jump at the opportunity to workshop and learn from him.
I’ll never understand the joy that the modern “literary” circle gets from attacking the Catholic Church—often with false claims and little understanding of true Catholic teaching. They would NEVER attack Islam like they do Catholicism, and it is very telling.
Dinty jumps at the chance to do so in the first chapter, in a section so irrelevant to the overall book that it forced me to ponder his insecurities with his childhood and/or religion. The poor attempt at humor prompted me to close the $3 thriftbook and put it back on the shelf, bitterly disappointed.
Back to my books by academic AND virtuous writers. ♥️
I’ll never understand the joy that the modern “literary” circle gets from attacking the Catholic Church—often with false claims and little understanding of true Catholic teaching. They would NEVER attack Islam like they do Catholicism, and it is very telling.
Dinty jumps at the chance to do so in the first chapter, in a section so irrelevant to the overall book that it forced me to ponder his insecurities with his childhood and/or religion. The poor attempt at humor prompted me to close the $3 thriftbook and put it back on the shelf, bitterly disappointed.
Back to my books by academic AND virtuous writers. ♥️
April 24, 2019
A collection of humorous essays focusing on the finer points of essay writing. While author Dinty Moore covers a variety of different aspects of the craft involved in writing memoirs and essays (Grammar, Form, Finding Topics, Creative Non-Fiction, etc...), I wouldn't say that Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy is useful as an instructional book as much as it is a collection of humorous essays on a specific topic that may or may not be more interesting to those interested in writing essays. Informative and entertaining, but possibly more entertaining than informative. Which might not be a bad thing. Or maybe it is.
November 13, 2019
What should you expect from a guy who shares his name with Hormel's beef stew other than chopped up bits of meat and potatoes suspended in a gravy-like slime? I thought this book would be helpful for writers - especially those who do essays. The subtitle even has the word "Advice" in it.
I should have known it was just an attempt at sarcasm and a vehicle to be really, really cool.
The humor seemed flat, the letters from "writers" seeking Mr. Essay's advice seemed fake and the advice was droll and only used to set up jokes.
I wasn't impressed.
I should have known it was just an attempt at sarcasm and a vehicle to be really, really cool.
The humor seemed flat, the letters from "writers" seeking Mr. Essay's advice seemed fake and the advice was droll and only used to set up jokes.
I wasn't impressed.
May 14, 2018
Entertaining and sometimes pretty silly. In addition to the fun, I learned some things - like what the three different kinds of dashes are - I use them all, but didn't know the names or history, so found this enlightening. Even the Introduction and About the Author mini-essays are quite entertaining. I now see that I need to check out Montaigne's essays, though I'm betting he won't make me laugh as much as Dinty Moore does.
P.S. And there are pictures!
P.S. And there are pictures!
June 9, 2017
This book was pretty cute. Dinty's style is a little folksy for me but overall I liked the book. Some of the essays were very creative and there were some great ones on writing and reading. I'd read more Dinty Moore.
July 1, 2017
Funny...funnier...funniest. Most fun.
Quite a ride through the sarcastic and very humorous mind of a writer who approves the topic of writing like Dave Barry approaches everyday life.
Quite a ride through the sarcastic and very humorous mind of a writer who approves the topic of writing like Dave Barry approaches everyday life.
September 13, 2017
A quick fun read; I laughed out loud along the way. Dinty's humorous style is brilliant and engaging. You'll read it thinking, "Why didn't I think of that?" The reason: he's way funnier and brilliant than I am! Bonus: there are writing tips throughout.
March 22, 2019
3.5 stars. While I may not have found this as useful to my own writing as I had hoped, I loved the humor and the examples of the different forms essays can take. I will definitely look for more of his work!
January 1, 2021
Amusing and self-aware, but the inventive forms of some of the essays draw attention away from the superficial nature of much of the writing. Maybe it's just not the book I was looking for, but I felt like the emotional core was hidden or missing. Entertaining but not seriously thought provoking.
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