Can Writing Be Taught?

I've been a fan of Tom Bissell since PW asked me to review Chasing the Sea ("The humor and poignancy in this blend of memoir, reportage and history mark the author as a front-runner in the next generation of travel writers"). So I'm happy to report the magazine's website now has his essay from The Believer's December/January issue, "Sir, Permission to Go AWOL From the Interesting, Sir!"

I've always had a love-hate relationship with writing manuals myself, so it's fun to get Bissell's take on them. Two that I've actually found quite helpful are How to Write a Mystery by Larry Beinhart and One Continuous Mistake by Gail Sher.