This book is fuel for igniting curiosity and creativity. Wesley Phillipson has a knack for encouraging original thinking and writing, and his essay prompts are a gift to teachers, students, and everyone who believes in the power of the pen. - Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN and HIDDEN POTENTIAL, and host of the podcast Re:Thinking
Ive taught writing on the college and high school level for 30 years and this is the book I needed. Grab it. Your students' lives and, dare I say, yours will be changed. - Victoria Redel, Guggenheim Fellow and Sarah Lawrence College Writing Professor
"In Teaching the Anti Essay, Wesley Phillipson authoritatively deconstructs the standard format essay (5 paragraphs, anyone?) of the past and paves a delightfully liberating path to teach the essay of the future." - Avis Cardella, author of Spent: Memoirs of a Shopping Addict, published by Little, Brown and Company
As a high school student, Wes Phillipson was the first teacher who inspired in me a love of writing and helped me understand that I had a voice which could be expressed in print. - Jimmy Vielkind, Reporter at The Wall Street Journal and WNYC Radio
When most teachers are trying to figure out a way to work with or work around AI, Wes Phillipson has figured out a way for all of his students to become skillful and original writers, and something more, and something lasting: they learn to be themselves. This is an invaluable gift to the profession. - Jeff Berger-White, Bard Colleges Institute for Writing and Thinking
Mr. Phillipson has given us all a unique and illuminating deep dive into the mysterious world of creative writing. The many paths to fulfillment he guides us to discover in this challenging universe are a true testament to his professorial genius. I highly recommend The Anti Essay book to those involved in all ends of the creative writing spectrum. - Richard Rudolph, Writer and Producer of the #1 Hit Song Lovin You - CEO Rudolph Productions | Chief Visionary at Vault / Headshell Books
Wes Phillipson will lead you to the thing all great writers find clarity and truth. He will teach you to leap right into the fray with both feet, and go from there. - Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Creators of the GOT MILK? Advertising Campaign
The Anti-Essay is a deep, personal, immersive experience that explores the habits of life and mind that create an excellent writer and, in turn, an excellent essay. - Beth Raymer, Author of Fireworks Every Night: A Novel, and Lay the Favorite: A Memoir
"Wes Phillipson redefines the student-teacher dynamic with The Anti-Essay, turning rote assignments into meaningful self-explorations. By modeling vulnerability and authenticity, Wes inspires students to find their voices and craft work that resonates beyond the classroom. His thoughtful approach to teaching the art of writing is not just innovativeits transformative." - Brandi Dugal, CEO and Founder of The Fidget Game / Fastest Growing Shark Tank Educational Product
Wesley Phillipsons out-of-the-box teaching style and support shaped me not only as a writer, but also as a thinker. He encouraged me to submit my writing for a National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Achievement Award in Writing and my entry pushed me to articulate what I found fascinating about early American history. It was these same interests that have propelled me to my graduate work. His book provides an exceptional opportunity to reflect on diversifying teaching in ways that students, myself included, will take with them far beyond their high school classrooms. - Emily Yankowitz, Yale University / PhD candidate in History
"At a moment when the disorienting acceleration of Artificial Intelligence is leading all of us in education to reassess every aspect of the high school writing experience, Wes Phillipson's 'Teaching the Anti-Essay' serves as an exceptionally timely and immensely thoughtful contribution to that critically important, ongoing conversation." - Adam Weisler, US & AP US History Teacher since 1998
Mr. Phillipson is one of the teachers who I can confidently say changed the course of my life. He got me to understand how writing is a skill that can never be devalued. As an educator, he is fully engaged with the evolving needs of students, and his insights into essay writing will hold true in any context. - Oscar Tirabassi, Wesleyan University 24, English Major
For the first time, I experienced the freedom to write what was in me without the constraints typically imposed by formal education. What a relief! Pure joy of true expression which I carry with me to this day. - Tess Brandwein, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2008, Political Science and Legal Studies UC Law San Francisco, 2014
Through Phillipsons guidance carried over to college applications, assignments while in college, and will continue to make me a writer whose perspectives are worth reading. - Ethan Hersch, Cornell University 25, Honors Computer Science & Mathematics
"As an educator in Harlem, I teach the same writing strategies that I learned in Mr. Phillipson's class eight years ago. I stress ideas, not formulas. I prioritize thinking, not replication." - Jack Waxman, Teach for America / Social Studies Department, Harlem HS, New York / Cornell 23 / Founder and Executive Director of Students Against Nicotine
Wes cared about the embodiment of our racing thoughts. Hell have you throwing out your word counts, cited source requirements, and rubrics. If you want your students to create something new and meaningful, let them write how they think. - Charlie Hirschhorn, The University of Pennsylvania / Economics and Cinema Studies / Founder and CEO of The Friendly Fridge
Mr. Phillipson unlocked something in me by dismantling the rigid frameworks that often stifle artistic expression in high school writing courses. He invited me into a creative realm where my voice could resonate freely and authentically. - Sasha Forman, University of South Carolina 26 / Media Arts Major
I was lucky enough to have Wes as my HS English teacher. This was a difficult period in my life and Mr. Phillipson encouraged me to express myself through my writing. I flourished in his class and eventually went on to major in creative writing in college. I dont think Id be where I am today without his influence. - Courtney Ires-Cohen, SUNY Purchase, 06, Liberal Studies & Creative Writing
My first essay in Wesley Phillipson's classroom demonstrated a belligerent disregard for the semiotic substructure of a text. Rather than grade it, Wesley had me write a new version, excluding everything that wasn't "absolutely necessary. The following attempt was met with the same response: less. Several drafts came and went, and my essay gradually morphed to resemble a mathematical equation. The system of signs it both represented and itself wasstraddling the diaphanous border between the essay and the text it was describingnow stood as a monolith before me. And I understood. - Axel Ahdritz, Claremont McKenna College 22 / Double Major in Literature & Data Science
I discovered literature's hidden beauty, now seeing it as the art of communication rather than a struggle. And while I have what should be debilitating dyslexia, Wes brought me deeper into a world of words, unlocking a passion I never knew existed. - Masashi Kawabata, University of Rochester 21 / Business & Finance / Bloomberg Tokyo
So much of what made Wes Phillipson's class special was his immovable trust in us, the students. He always pushed for our honest thoughts and opinions to shine while creating a lyrical framework to better articulate them. - Miwa Sakulrat, School of Visuals Arts 17 / Film Editing
His class helped me vocalize my complicated memories and thoughts, recalibrating my ability to read, write, and consume literature. Wes Philipson empowers students in ways no other teacher or professor compares. - Peyton Lusk, Connecticut College 26 / History & Government
Taking a class taught by Mr. Philipson gave me hope for the future of English education. I learned to surpass boring essay tropes and have fun with writing. - Adam Otsuka, Union College 27 / Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
These essays were my first real chances to figure out who I was and what moved me. - Daheun Oh, Yale University 25 / B.A. in Computing and the Arts
My years as his student learning about form vs. content helped prepare me for my career in advertising, where I've written high-visibility ads including a Super Bowl spot and a TV campaign parodied by SNL. I trace my success back to my years with Phillipson and his constant challenge to the class: Tell me something I dont already know! - Jonathan Goldstein, Graduate of Washington University in St. Louis
Wes Phillipson was my eleventh-grade English teacher. Immersed in deep, thoughtful explorations of postmodernism, signifying, and the complexities of modern rap music, he taught me how to think and how to write. It was hard and confusing. But it was also inspiring, empowering, and exciting. Now, as a medical student and future medical educator, I carry with me lessons from his course and his teaching in my academic career. - Beatrix Thompson, Medical Student, Harvard Medical School
I had never found writing to be as fun and creative as I had in Wes Phillipsons class. I can still remember my sophomore year when I learned that no matter the topic, writing an essay can be personal, argumentative, artistic, and interesting all at once. In every writing assignment I tackle today, I make sure to find those distinctions, forms, and stories that bring my essays to life. - Jake Feuerstein, Lehigh University 26 / Biomolecular Engineering & Global Studies
"I wrote essays I wanted my peers to read." - Oryna Bludova, NYU Tisch Drama 28 (Production & Design), BFA in Drama
Wes was unlike any teacher I have ever had. He taught me how to write. He showed me how to use form, syntax, and tone to enhance my writing. Every driven student in this world should have the opportunity to take a Wes Phillipson English class because they will be enlightened. - Kyle Kahan, University of Michigan 27 / Wealth & Asset Management
It's been over fifteen years, and I still talk about Mr. Phillipson's class with my colleagues and students. I can trace the spark for my love of writing back to his classroom, where on any given day, we would jump from Biggie's rap lyrics to Sylvia Plath's poetry to F. Scott Fitzgerald's prose. Thanks to Anti-Essay, everyone can now pull up a seat and learn how to think and create differently." - Marissa Shandell, PhD Candidate at The Wharton School
