Writing Places: The Life Journey of a Writer and Teacher – An Inspiring Memoir on Journalism, Craft, and the Art of Teaching

Description

“William Zinsser turns his zest, warmth and curiosity—his sharp but forgiving eye—on his own story. The result is lively, funny and moving, especially for anyone who cares about art and the business of writing well.” —Evan Thomas, Newsweek In Writing Places, William Zinsser—the author of On Writing Well, the bestseller that has inspired two generations of writers, journalists, and students—recalls the many colorful and instructive places where he has worked and taught. Gay Talese, author of A Writer’s Life, calls Writing Places, “Wonderful,” while the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette praises this unique memoir for possessing “all the qualities that Zinsser believes matter most in good writing—clarity, brevity, simplicity and humanity.” Go behind the scenes of a legendary writing life and discover: The Craft of Writing: Go beyond the rules of On Writing Well and see how Zinsser’s principles of clarity, brevity, and humanity were forged through decades of practice. Journalism History: Step into the smoke-filled city room of the legendary New York Herald Tribune and meet the unforgettable characters who shaped American journalism in the postwar era. The Freelance Writer: Travel with Zinsser and his trusty Olivetti typewriter, from London and the South Seas to a solitary billiard house, and learn what it takes to survive life outside the newsroom. Teaching Writing: Sit in on Zinsser’s celebrated nonfiction workshop at Yale, where he mentored a new generation of writers and discovered what it truly means to be a teacher. Review: Honed to perfection; simply terrific! - This is quite simply a terrific book. If I have a complaint, it's the usual one regarding William Zinsser's work. I wished there were more. But if it had been longer, it wouldn't have been genuine Zinsser. One of his prime rules is to 'reduce clutter.' If Zinsser is hard on his students about editing out extraneous stuff, he's obviously twice as hard on himself. Because Writing Places, like his other books about writing and his life, has been mercilessly edited and honed to absolute shining perfection. I despair at ever coming close to this kind of writing myself. And I am an adherent to Zinsser's work too. I first read his classic tome, On Writing Well, about five years ago and just loved it. But as a follower I'm probably kind of a failure. I think it all matters, so ... I've also read his book, Writing About Your Life, which didn't have nearly enough about his own life (just my opinion, of course), so I was very excited to hear he'd finally written an actual memoir. Writing Places was a pleasure to read, but, as I've already said, I wished for more, particularly about his childhood and youth and his WWII service. Something like Andy Rooney did in MY WAR, or Sam Hynes in his two excellent memoirs, The Growing Seasons and Flights of Passage. If Zinsser ever decides to do this, I'd predict an instant bestseller, because there just aren't many more WWII memoirs that will still be written. The reading public is still hungry for such accounts though; witness the recent success in England of RAF pilot Geoffrey Wellum's book, First Light - a wonderful account of flying and the Battle of Britain. What the hell though. I do so appreciate everything Zinsser has already shared with us. And what he's tried to teach us about good writing. My next assignment: to read his books about music and baseball - EASY TO REMEMBER and SPRING TRAINING. Particularly the first one, because Zinsser is an accomplished jazz pianist of many years standing. Gotta read that one. In the meantime, keep writing, Mr Zinsser, and I'll keep reading. - Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER Review: A rich layer cake of a memoir - Writing Places is a very entertaining read. But as with all of Mr. Zinsser's books, it reminds you that writing must also be helpful. The book addresses all kinds of helpful ideas. Such as self-evolution. That one's work ( his classic "On Writing Well" in this case) may need re-evaluation and revision over the course of time. His journey describes the complexity of the art of teaching the craft of writing. I didn't think such a thing could be articulated, but he does it. He is William Zinsser after all. He covers helpful ideas including journalistic ethics, history, family, and learning how to learn. Within the notion of helpful writing lies Zinsser's characteristic generosity of spirit. Helping is giving. If you are a writer, give yourself the collection of all of this writer's books. At the very least keep William Zinsser book titles on a list, and give them as gifts to the accomplished and would-be writers in your life.