The Broadside Essay Series

We live in a world of immediacy. Technology makes our insights and ideas available instantaneously to others. Such an advantage can be valuable and helpful to those who wish to offer their ideas in a manner that is direct and forceful. There is a disadvantage though. If one reacts immediately to someone else's proposal or abruptly reveals an idea without thoughtful reflection, he or she might be considered to be superficial, one-dimensional, or small-minded.

Muse-Pie Press has introduced an essay series on literature and the arts to help slow down the process of thinking about literature. The essay has long been a format for reflection. It offers a reader the many facets of a discussion or outlines the components of an argument. Over time we hope to offer thoughtful essays about literature that will provoke an ongoing discussion about its place in our lives.

We have started this series with a fascinating history on the chapbook, Muse-Pie 1 Chapbooks: A Historical Perspective by Adele Kenny. The chapbook is a means of communicating literature that at one time was similar to the technologies that we have today. The chapbook offered an inexpensive, expansive means to get ideas and literature to as many persons as possible in the quickest manner available. The fact that the chapbook is still widely used as a means to make available literature to a wide population offers reason for its continued success. The Muse-Pie Essay Series will be made available in printed format initially, but we are considering an online version of each essay that we produce. We are proud to offer this inexpensive, interesting way to think about how literature affects our lives. Please feel free to go to our catalogue on this site and purchase the first essay in the series.