The essay examines what is essayistic in Jenny Holzer's artwork Inflammatory Essays (IE). To be able to answer the question, the concepts of genre and mode are used. The paper’s method is abduction, which was introduced by the linguist Charles S. Peirce. IE consists of 31 posters, which were set up in New York's street environment in the time period 1979-1982. The poster texts were taken from various political thinkers. By comparing IE with research on the essay in general, but also research on Holzer as an artist more specifically, the result is that IE both inscribes itself as typically essayistic but also goes beyond it. It can be seen as a result of genre bending, as described by David Breslin. The borrowing of quotes from other texts and the experimental attributes are a distinguishing feature of the essayistic. Other features of IE deviate from the essayistic track. Gerhard Haas talks about the subjective trait that is about exploring oneself. In IE, Holzer has written herself out of the text. The subjective introspective element is therefore missing. The conversational tone is also absent which is a clear break with the essay tradition. Claire de Obaldia writes about the act of essaying and refers to the aimless wandering and thinking that are distinctive features throughout the history of essays. IE has bound itself to a certain typographical form, which makes wandering difficult.