The Perils and Pitfalls of the Lyrical Essay

The lyrical essay has proliferated in recent years. Its antecedents can be traced back to 1966 when Truman Capote, author of In Cold Blood, introduced the idea of the “nonfiction novel” in an interview with George Plimpton for The New York Times. Over the years, the burgeoning genre of creative nonfiction, as well as the increased publication of personal essays, led to the development of what has come to be called the lyrical essay.