Short Days

Sarah Manguso's essay is interesting. It seems to be a series of aphorisms. What makes this an essay instead of simply a collection of unrelated sayings that the author has come up w/ herself?

Other questions:

• "When I run out of things to write I just kindle a little flame inside my chest and let it burn a little more of my anger, which is inexhaustible. Would you like me better if I lied and called it love?" Who is she talking to? Who is the "you"? How does this aphorism relate to the previous one? How the one after?
• Why is the first one the first one? Why the last the last one? 
• Which is your favorite aphorism? Which is one that you don't understand? Which is one that enrages you? 
• On p. 48 at the end of the aphorism about the boyfriend who get paralyzed Manguso writes, "That's just bad writing." What's bad writing?