The PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay aims to preserve the dignity and esteem that the essay form imparts to literature. Here we feature selected essays from this year’s finalists, whose wide-ranging topics and often dramatic differences in style, tone, approach, and subject matter are a testament to the creativity inherent in the essay form. This year’s winner is Ian Buruma for Theater of Cruelty: Art, Film, and the Shadows of War.
 | “The Twisted Art of Documentary” by Ian Buruma |
 | “The Empathy Exams” by Leslie Jamison |
 | “By Way of a Preface” by Charles D’Ambrosio |
 | Three Essays by Angela Pelster |
 | “The Self-Deceptions of Empire” by David Bromwich
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