> Writing about the best essay implies there is such a thing, which pseudo-intellectuals will dismiss as reductive, though it follows necessarily from the possibility of one essay being better than another.

What is the best car? Some cars are real stinkers. It's not hard to find cars that are better than Zastava Yugo in every way. For most cars you can find other cars that are in the same class, but just better. Clearly, a comparison between cars can be made. Car reviewers make this their job.

But from the existence of bad and mediocre cars it doesn't follow that there is such a thing as a "best car". How large is your family? Do you want to tow a boat? Do you like to go fast on curvy roads? Do you care more about acceleration or range? How tall are your rear passengers?

There are good essays and there are bad essays. Some essays, perhaps, can be considered the very best in their category. But you can't rank order essays across categories, just like you can't argue that a Ford F150 is objectively better or worse than a Mazda Miata.

(And if this makes me a small-minded pseudo-intellectual so be it.)