The Age of the Essay (paulgraham.com)

Thanks for posting this. It was a pleasure to read it again.

Since 2004: "At the very least I must have explained something badly. In that case, in the course of the conversation I'll be forced to come up a with a clearer explanation, which I can just incorporate in the essay." Surprised.

Regarding the combover:

And, of course, at what angle does the combover look best?

Straight on, no wind, good overhead lighting... you know, the bathroom mirror.

Interesting that he mentions the period where the short story reigned before TV broke through. Seems very similar to the internet, where video has again broken through.

I have a friend who is very afraid of flying, so this sentence intrigued me: "I was afraid of flying for a long time and could only travel vicariously."

I'd love to see a PG essay on a) why he was afraid of flying b) how he overcame the fear