In this article, the author argues the common assumption among teachers that the traditional academic essay is the most appropriate sustained writing activity for students. As a feminist, the author believes that the traditional academic essay considers a positivist, patriarchal epistemology that governs beliefs about knowledge and teaching practices in her school and in many others' across the United States. The author instead recommends that teachers should follow "Why History Matters," a collection of Gerda Lerner's essays. Lerner's writing and arguments promotes a feminist epistemology that recognizes the subjectivity of the historian matters to history writing. The author also discusses how Lerner's writing and rhetoric promote the feminist philosophical perspectives of Lorraine Code. (Contains 7 notes.)