At the end of every semester that I’ve had at Washington University, I’ve written at least one 15-20 page essay. First, it was the triumphal columns of Istanbul; second, female stereotypes in Spenser’s “The Faerie Queene;” third, why Egyptian civilization persevered while the Mycenaeans vanished around the 13th century B.C. Each of these essays was entirely unrelated in all ways but two: They were written in a concentrated frenzy of creativity from about 10 p.m. to 5 p.m. the next day (when they were due) and they are the best pieces of writing I have produced in my life.