Discussed in this essay:

The Making of the American Essay, edited by John D’Agata. Graywolf Press. 656 pages. $25.

The Lost Origins of the Essay, edited by John D’Agata. Graywolf Press. 656 pages. $23.

The Next American Essay, edited by John D’Agata. Graywolf Press. 475 pages. $20.

The Lifespan of a Fact, by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal. W. W. Norton. 128 pages. $17.95.

Reality Hunger, by David Shields. Vintage. 240 pages. $15.95.

John D’Agata’s The Making of the American Essay marks the completion of a large-scale canonizing project. D’Agata, the author of several books of non-fiction, most recently The Lifespan…