William Zinsser
Encyclopedia
William Knowlton Zinsser (born October 7, 1922) is an American writer
, editor
, literary critic, 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.
Throughout the 1970s, Zinsser taught writing at Yale University
where he was the fifth master of Branford College
(1973–1979). He served as executive editor of the Book-of-the-Month Club from 1979 to 1987. He now lives in New York City
, his hometown, and teaches at The New School
and the Columbia University
Graduate School of Journalism
.
His 17 books include On Writing Well, which is in the seventh edition; Writing to Learn; Writing with a Word Processor; Mitchell & Ruff (originally published as Willie and Dwike); Spring Training; American Places; Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs; Writing About Your Life; and most recently, Writing Places, an autobiography. The American Scholar runs William Zinsser's weekly web posting, Zinsser on Friday, featuring his short essays on writing, the arts, and popular culture.
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. He adds, "Zinsser's sound theory is that 'writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it.'"
Many high school teachers have incorporated Zinsser's writing into their lesson plans. Some teachers even go as far as to tell their students to "Zinsser" their work (Zinsser used as a verb meaning to take the clutter out of their essays).
Zinsser on Friday at The American Scholar
NYU's Fales Library Guide to the William Zinsser Papers
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, literary critic, and teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. He began his career as a journalist for the New York Herald Tribune
New York Herald Tribune
The New York Herald Tribune was a daily newspaper created in 1924 when the New York Tribune acquired the New York Herald.Other predecessors, which had earlier merged into the New York Tribune, included the original The New Yorker newsweekly , and the Whig Party's Log Cabin.The paper was home to...
, where he worked as a feature writer, drama editor, film critic, and editorial writer, and has been a longtime contributor to leading magazines.
Throughout the 1970s, Zinsser taught writing at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
where he was the fifth master of Branford College
Branford College
Branford College is the oldest of the 12 residential colleges at Yale University.-The Founding of Branford:Branford College was founded in 1933 by partitioning the Memorial Quadrangle into two parts: Saybrook and Branford...
(1973–1979). He served as executive editor of the Book-of-the-Month Club from 1979 to 1987. He now lives in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, his hometown, and teaches at The New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
and the Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
.
His 17 books include On Writing Well, which is in the seventh edition; Writing to Learn; Writing with a Word Processor; Mitchell & Ruff (originally published as Willie and Dwike); Spring Training; American Places; Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs; Writing About Your Life; and most recently, Writing Places, an autobiography. The American Scholar runs William Zinsser's weekly web posting, Zinsser on Friday, featuring his short essays on writing, the arts, and popular culture.
In his books, Zinsser emphasizes word economy. Author James J. Kilpatrick
James J. Kilpatrick
James Jackson Kilpatrick was an American editorial columnist and grammarian. He was a legal abstractionist, a social conservative, and an economic libertarian according to Harvard ....
, 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. He adds, "Zinsser's sound theory is that 'writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it.'"
Many high school teachers have incorporated Zinsser's writing into their lesson plans. Some teachers even go as far as to tell their students to "Zinsser" their work (Zinsser used as a verb meaning to take the clutter out of their essays).
External sources
Official websiteZinsser on Friday at The American Scholar
NYU's Fales Library Guide to the William Zinsser Papers