Our group chose to study Brevity, the online journal publishing short nonfiction essays of 500-750 words. As we began our study, we set out with a number of research questions that investigate not only the defining characteristics of the genre, but also the genre’s significance within the larger study as a whole.
First, we examined the exigence for short essays and their role in society. Short essays speak to today’s fast-paced lifestyle and desire for immediate satisfaction. Often, people lack the time to delve into a long novel or nonfiction piece. Brevity eliminates the problem of time constraints, and its existence within the medium of the Internet only works to further its widespread accessibility and convenience. The essays themselves work to fulfill a need in society, as well; often the essays are political in nature, allowing the authors to present current issues to the intended audience.
Next, we asked why these essays are written and why are they read. Much like the parent genre of creative nonfiction, Brevity essays are written from personal experience and satisfy the author’s need to tell their personal story or express certain views. The structure of the essays innately presents the possibility to create a story with resonating meaning. Brevity is read by people seeking the impact and familiarity of creative nonfiction without the need to set aside a great deal of time.
Our third research question addressed the nature of the intended audience. Brevity readers, for the most part, must be conscientious readers because of the lack of publicity that Brevity has. Readers who come to the site know what they are looking for and expect to read a work of literary depth.
In addition to our specific research questions, we examined the formal characteristics of the short essays in order to form the foundation for our study. Although Brevity pieces vary widely in subject matter and organization, common tropes and devices emerged. Imagery proved extremely important in these short essays; the author lacks the space for lengthy description present in ordinary creative nonfiction; telling the story quickly through concrete images is much more effective. Characters in the pieces lack the development of those in other genres and are only defined by status or one defining characteristic. Pacing also plays an important role, as authors have few words with which to build tension, so pacing in the form of varied sentence structure, fragments, or repetition is important in establishing movement in the story.
Although subject matter varies, all authors typically attempt to establish some universal truth, or at least an identifiable experience. Irony, dialogue, simile, and personification appear frequently and work to quickly establish the theme while telling the story in a literary fashion. The most important unifying factor present in these essays is the extended metaphor, which unifies the essay from start to finish and attributes to it a deeper message.
The style of the essays themselves varies between individual pieces. In our research, we found three main stylistic formats that the essays typically adhere to. The essay Oatmeal follows the literal format, which follows traditional narrative style. Many essays follow an abstract format, using abstract concepts and writing techniques. An example of this type of essay would include Quinto Sol, due to its use of displaced subject matter and poetic style of writing. A third style, the innovative form, consists of essays that show unique design and can include an abstract or stream-of-consciousness style. An example can of this can be found in the essay S_ _ T.
In relation to its parent genre, Brevity presents us with a sub-genre that adheres to a few of the generic qualities of its parent. These qualities include using only personal material, while taking upon many new formal qualities, such as reliance on imagery, pacing, and metaphor. Where traditional creative nonfiction often tells a story in its entirety, Brevity pieces almost always leave the reader with something to figure out. Thus, in relation to its parent genre, Brevity provides us with an example of a disembedded genre in how it has been removed from its parent genre, where it initially developed on paper, and has taken on a societal function of its own in the online realm.
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