Essay-writing has a rich history in the United States. What American essays should we remember today, and why? What contributions do they make to America’s collective memory? The Mount invited Phillip Lopate to discuss his recent edited collection, The Glorious American Essay: One Hundred Essays from Colonial Times to Present, and the addition of Edith Wharton’s lecture titled America at War (1918). In conversation with journalist Julie Scelfo, Lopate explores the complexities of choosing works, past and present, for this anthology.