The Hidden Structure Behind Great Essays
3 rules for writing a thought-provoking personal essay
Your best ideas deserve better words. Here's how to find them in 10 minutes per week.
Join our community of 20,000+ curious readers and receive a weekly education in the art of thinking and writing clearly, drawn from my eight years of building a full-time writing career from my ideas alone.
"Robin's approach has fundamentally changed my relationship with books—shifting the focus from simply 'collecting' knowledge toward a true transformation through texts."
-Richard Shortland-Neal from Underhill Letters
"I was learning new insights to old ideas and fresh opinions that I might not have considered. I’ve even rediscovered my love of reading all thanks to you. I’m 68 and I’m glad that I can still learn. Thank you."
-Gloria
"You're a deep thinker who encourages me to think deeply. I think that so often we go through life without reflecting on the thread that goes between us and the world; you help me see those little weavings."
-Allison
"I love that you take the humanities seriously and want to use them to help fix what's wrong with the early 21st Century"
-Michael
"Reading your work and musings is like a breath of fresh air for me! I got a chance to study the humanities for a semester and it was the most memorable time for me in uni.
-Aumi
"I am in my twenties now, and switching to Literary Studies. Finally following my dreams. I will take your writings with me on my journey. Thank you."
-Denzel
"I am a lifelong learner, and I want to make a living from my writing, speaking, podcasting and my art. I really love your filming and writing style as well as the way you curate your work. God bless and go well."
-Richard
"I'm a soon-to-be junior in high school. When I first discovered philosophy, academia, and literature, I felt awfully alone. Isolated, even. My first encounter with your channel was my curiosity about dark academia and what the hype was about. Needless to say, I feel deeply intimate with your writing, and your thoughts."
-Timothy
"I'm a 19-year-old that have been watching your channel casually for a few years now, but I guess lately I've been finding myself at a turning point to be more intentional with my life and my time, and your work is really informative to that."
-Anna
"I used to carve through your videos some years ago. I cannot express enough how your ideas and aesthetic have guided my philosophical and literary journeys. I can say, with total confidence, that you are the reason I have endeavoured, and in some senses prospered, at becoming a well-read creative intellectual."
-Ibra
"You continually inspire and motivate me to continue learning as a lifelong passion. You remind me why books matter and reading saves lives. Thank you "
-Victoria
Your Starter Pack
Session 6: The Principles of Captivating Writing
The foundations of writing that you've never learned in school
Deep Reading Pt. 1: The Reading System Nobody Taught You At School
A series on the most effective reading framework of the last 100 years
How To Write a Paragraph That Doesn't Suck
Happy Saturday! Today, we'll revisit one of my favourite posts from 2024 that turned out to be a
Plain English Pt. 1: How To Write A Clean Sentence
A grammar guide for people who hate grammar.
Latest Letters
Mar 25
Satori: Art as Entertainment
Literary espresso #5
1 min read
Mar 23
Thoughts are Always Influenced By Moods
Literary Espresso #4
1 min read
Mar 22
Why is Ulysses So Hard to Read?
Literary Espresso #3
1 min read
Mar 21
Lord Byron's Wordplay on 'Don Juan'
Literary Espresso #2
2 min read
Mar 20
Don't Read A Novel When You Eat
Literary Espresso #1
1 min read
Mar 17
Learning is a Luxury, Not a Chore
how to rekindle the joy of learning without goals
4 min read
Mar 08
Why Observant People Are All A Little Mad
Musings on an old bookshop, a doctor's appointment and Baudelaire
5 min read
Feb 27
Why I'm Obsessed With My Wardrobe
On Taking Care of Our Possessions: Fast Fashion and Smooth Surfaces
5 min read
Feb 18
Stop Saying: "When I was Your Age", Please.
The Jaded Mask of Life Experience
3 min read
Feb 12
Attunement: The Mysterious Force Behind Reading Slumps
Why Are We Attached to Certain Books and Not Others?
6 min read
Feb 01
When You're Stuck, Immerse Yourself In The World
A few thoughts on writer's block and creativity
3 min read
Jan 14
The Music You Listen To Matters
Musings on Music, Phenomenology and Love
4 min read