What Columbo Taught Me About Writing Essays

By Andrea A. Firth

I’ve been watching reruns of Columbo lately. Why? At a young age, I was fascinated by the quirky detective from the 1970’s TV series—Columbo the rumpled, cigar-chomping, trench coat-wearing detective who investigates and solves a high-profile murder case each week. And now, I’ve come to see what the show and the character have taught me about writing essay. Yes, Columbo is a fictional character, but much of the craft we employ in creative nonfiction, like personal essay,...