Writing Places: The Life Journey of a Writer and Teacher [Paperback]

William Zinsser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 27, 2010

William Zinsser's classic bestseller, On Writing Well, has inspired three generations of writers, journalists and students. In Writing Places, he delightfully recalls the many colorful and amusing locations where he has worked and taught.

Written with humor and with gratitude for a lifetime of change and self-discovery, relishing a rich cast of characters who peopled his world—from Yale's president Kingman Brewster to actor Peter Sellers to gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson—Writing Places never loses its anchor in the craft of writing: how it's taught, learned and brought to a high level of enjoyment.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Influential journalist, author and educator Zinsser (American Places, Easy to Remember) produces an elegantly written memoir, featuring an array of vividly drawn tales from 50-plus years of writing, reporting and teaching in London, the Hamptons, Yale University and elsewhere. A master of storytelling, what makes Zinsser's memoir most effective is the gentle connection he forms with nearly everyone who enters his life, from his students at Yale, who treated Zinsser as a trusted confidante, to the elusive golf-ball thief "Mr. Roby," who Zinsser celebrated in a Saturday Evening Post article. Zinsser also chronicles his days as a writer for the Herald Tribune and Life, as well as the lean times when freelance work alone sustained him. Zinsser also delves into the development of his own non-fiction writing course at Yale, his bestseller On Writing Well, and a multitude of other articles and books. With careful introspection and nothing but gratitude for the people in his life, Zinsser makes perfect sense out of his long, strange journey. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

[Audio Review] Best known as the author of the esteemed guide On Writing Well, Zinsser devotes his new book to recollections of his charmed life as a writer and teacher. He reflects on his years with the Herald Tribune, as a freelance writer living with his family in the Hamptons, and teaching at Yale University. Famous for prescribing clear, uncluttered writing, Zinsser practices what he preaches, and his reading is similarly limpid. Looking back at his personal and professional achievements, Zinsser cannot mask his self-satisfaction but rather than coming across as narcissistic, his pride proves markedly charming. A Collins hardcover (Reviews, June 15). (Aug.) --Publisher's Weekly --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (July 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061729035
• ISBN-13: 978-0061729034
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #863,140 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Zinsser, a writer, editor, and teacher, is a fourth-generation New Yorker, born in 1922. His 18 books, which range in subject from music to baseball to American travel, include several widely read books about writing.

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, first published in 1976, has sold almost 1.5 million copies to three generations of writers, editors, journalists, teachers and students.

Writing to Learn which uses examples of good writing in science, medicine and technology to demonstrate that writing is a powerful component of learning in every subject.

Writing Places, a memoir recalling the enjoyment and gratitude the places where William Zinsser has done his writing and his teaching and the unusual people he encountered on that life journey.

Mr. Zinsser began his career in 1946 at the New York Herald Tribune, where he was a writer, editor, and critic. In 1959 he left to become a freelance writer and has since written regularly for leading magazines. From 1968 to 1972 he was a columnist for Life. During the 1970s he was at Yale, where, besides teaching nonfiction writing and humor writing, he was master of Branford College. In 1979 he returned to New York and was a senior editor at the Book-of-the-Month Club until 1987, when he went back to freelance writing. He teaches at the New School and at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is an adviser on writing to schools, colleges, and other organizations. He holds honorary degrees from Wesleyan University, Rollins College, and the University of Southern Indian and is a Literary Lion of the New York Public Library.

William Zinsser's other books include Mitchell & Ruff, a profile of jazz musicians Dwike Mitchell and Willie Ruff; American Places, a pilgrimage to 16 iconic American sites; Spring Training, about the spring training camp of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1988; and Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs; and he is the Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir. A jazz pianist and songwriter, he wrote a musical revue, What's the Point, which was performed off Broadway in 2003.

Mr. Zinsser lives in his home town with his wife, the educator and historian Caroline Zinsser. They have two children, Amy Zinsser, a business executive, and John Zinsser, a painter and teacher.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect example of memoir writing, July 7, 2009

By 

P. Wung "Engineering is my vocation, volleyba... (Tipp City, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writing Places: The Life Journey of a Writer and Teacher (Hardcover)

William Zinsser gained acclaim as the teacher of non-fiction writing, most notably memoir writing. He is also the teacher of many aspiring writers through his classic tome: On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction

I am a thankful recipient of Mr. Zinsser's wisdom and wit. I'd read "On Writing Well" forwards and backwards. I am working on reading it sideways now.

His lessons on clear and simple writing is exemplified in this, his memoir. The stories herein are clear, concise, words are used tactically but sparingly. He is able to say what he wants to say and tell the stories he wants to tell in the same manner that he has told millions of readers.

It is an interesting yet spare telling of his life. He covers all the different kinds of writing jobs that he has had and he gets to the point about what he likes and dislikes about each of the jobs. The anecdotes are interesting and yet still serve to make his point and move the narrative along.

It is astonishing just how many writing jobs can be had by one man, moving from being a journalist, teacher, editor, reviewer, free lance writer, humorist, and conscience. The book is short and its tone is informative - as he had encouraged his readers to be; never pedantic - as he strove to never to be; and informative, as his books always are.

The story of how he came to write his most famous book is enlightening and evokes great respect and gratitude from this reader. The section on his Yale years brings the readers to a place where few tread. And his reminiscence of the newspaper trade in the heyday of newspapers makes on wish to return to that particular era.

It was, a lovely read, an entertaining read, and most importantly, a well written read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Master Teaches Another Lesson, September 8, 2009

By 

bronx book nerd (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Writing Places: The Life Journey of a Writer and Teacher (Hardcover)

For me, there is no better teacher on how to write well than William Zinsser. All of his books, whether they are specific books on how to write, about the writing life (like this one), or other topics, are mini-courses on how to write. One can take virtually any sentence in this book and see how Zinsser applies the lessons he teaches in his classic On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. And, of course, his writing skills result in books that are engaging, memorable and bring the reader to reflect on not only Zinsser's subjects but on the reader's own life.

In Writing Places, Zinsser takes us through his personal journey as a writer, from his beginnings at the New York Herald, his stint as a master at Yale, the genesis and development of On Writing Well, and his challenges as a freelancer. We are the beneficiaries of Zinsser's decision to not follow the path that his father expected him to take into the family business. Instead, Zinsser chose to follow his passion to be a journalist and to write. Who knows how many millions of lives Zinsser has affected through his works? I, for one, am grateful that he chose this alternate path.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great writing, great stories: bite-sized, July 30, 2009

By 

Colleen E. Fahey "Godmother Colleen" (Chicago, IL, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writing Places: The Life Journey of a Writer and Teacher (Hardcover)

I love to read about writers writing. These writers give you more than than words about writing, they share glimpses of the great stories of their own lives.
PS I'll read anything Zinsser writes. He never lets you down.