The phrase means that someone was made aware of something. In this case, the professor was made aware of the writing. When something is brought to your attention, that "something" is information. It's not physical. Perhaps you were thinking that someone carried the written text to the professor and presented it to him, but that's not "bringing something to the attention of someone".

"Bringing something to someone's attention" has got nothing to do with bringing anything to anyone. It means informing someone of it.

I think it really depends on what you're going for. To bring the writing to the attention of the professor gives the impression that if it weren't for the person showing the professor the writing, the professor would have never seen it. To just bring the professor the writing - even though it's followed with the fact that it inspired him to learn more about the writing - sounds a bit more open as if someone might have brought him the writing as part of an assignment OR out of the blue. Basically, they both get through the same point, but contextually, denoting that he brought the writing "to the attention of" a professor is a bit more specific - that he was showing the professor something the professor wouldn't have seen on their own or without his intervention.