William Knowlton Zinsser

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born

October 07, 1922

gender

male

genre

Nonfiction

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William Knowlton Zinsser (born October 7, 1922) is a writer, editor, and teacher. He began his career as a journalist for the New York Herald Tribune, where he worked as a feature writer, drama editor, film critic, and editorial writer, and has been a longtime contributor to leading magazines.

In his books, Zinsser emphasizes word economy. Author James J. Kilpatrick, in his book The Writer's Art says that if he were limited to just one book on how to write, it would be William Zinsser's On Writing Well. Adds Kilpatrick, "Zinsser's sound theory is that 'writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it.'"

Throughout the 1970s, Zinsser taught writing at Yale University where he was master of Branford College. He ser...more

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William Knowlton Zinsser's Books

Average rating: 4.12 · 7,466 ratings · 611 reviews · 21 distinct works · Similar authors

	On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction 4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 avg rating — 6,797 ratings — published 1976 — 27 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir 3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 avg rating — 176 ratings — published 1987 — 3 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Writing About Your Life: A Journey into the Past 3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 avg rating — 156 ratings — published 2004 — 2 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Writing to Learn: How to Write--And Think--Clearly about Any Subject at All 3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 avg rating — 159 ratings — published 1988 — 4 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Writing Places: The Life Journey of a Writer and Teacher 3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 avg rating — 44 ratings — published 2009 — 8 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Worlds of Childhood: The Art and Craft of Writing for Children by William Knowlton Zinsser (Editor), Zinsser 3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 avg rating — 35 ratings — published 1990 — 3 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	American Places: A Writer's Pilgrimage to 16 of This Country's Most Visited and Cherished Sites 3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 1992 — 4 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How to Write a Memoir: How to Write a Memoir 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 1999	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs for Broadway Shows and Hollywood Musicals 3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2000 — 3 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mitchell & Ruff: An American Profile in Jazz by William Knowlton Zinsser, Albert Murray (Foreword) 5.0 of 5 stars 5.00 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2000	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by William Knowlton Zinsser

“Write about small, self-contained incidents that are still vivid in your memory. If you remember them, it's because they contain a larger truth that your readers will recognize in their own lives. Think small and you'll wind up finding the big themes in your family saga. ”
― William Knowlton Zinsser

tags: memoir, writing

17 people liked it

“I almost always urge people to write in the first person. Writing is an act of ego and you might as well admit it.”
― William Knowlton Zinsser

tags: writing

7 people liked it

“Writing is an act of ego, and you might as well admit it.”
― William Knowlton Zinsser, On Writing Well: The Classic Guide To Writing Nonfiction: 30th Anniversary Edition

5 people liked it

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