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Found Essays

I was about fourteen if memory serves when my English teacher, Mrs P made me read the Essays of Francis Bacon. Obviously it was not my first choice for summer vacation reading with so many tempting, far more contemporary options out there. I approached the volume as I would a chore and without a great deal of excitement but before long I was hooked. Not only did I enjoy reading Bacon, it was my introduction to a genre which is still among my favorites.

Finding Francis Bacon essays online and a list of famous essayists reminded me of Mrs. P and her relentless efforts to get us hooked on classics. I did not appreciate her enough back then, but I do know now how lucky I had been to be introduced to some of the best writing in the language at a fairly young age. Once she got me started, I made many more discoveries on my own but the power of that first push was truly priceless and for that I will always remain grateful.
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