The French word essai was a verb until Montaigne first used it to describe his personal writing. Phillip Lopate echoes Montaigne when he reminds us, in his introduction to The Art of the Personal Essay, the essay has long been considered an experiment: “To essay is to attempt, to test, to make a run at something without knowing whether you are going to succeed.” It is in this spirit we will take up the act and practice of the essay. As writers we will look to our private and public worlds for that question, moment, object, or itch that moves us toward the page. Through in-class writing exercises and the study of model texts, we will expand outward from that initial impulse, experimenting with style and craft, but also the kind of blind willingness a good first draft requires. As readers, we will consider how writers adhere to and subvert traditional essay forms, experimenting with lyricism, argument, confession, social critique. We will apply our observations to workshop discussions, providing constructive feedback on one another’s work. Experienced essayists and those new to the form are invited to join us as we make our earnest attempts.