Mr. Zinsser

William Zinsser died last week. He was 92 and nearly blind, though from what I've read, age and infirmity did little to dull his quick mind.

Mr. Zinsser's classic guide to nonfiction writing, "On Writing Well," made me a better writer. It made me a better editor and teacher, too. I owe him a great debt.

Mr. Zinsser visited my university many years ago and said he considered it his mission in life to go around the country giving college students permission to be themselves in their writing. What a remarkably liberating message for young writers struggling to find their voices.

Mr. Zinsser believed in the power of brevity -- that when it comes to the written word, less truly is more. He could not abide the fluff and nonsense that clutter up American English. (The chapter in "On Writing Well" titled "Clutter" should be required reading for every high school and college student in the land. I can think of a few politicians and CEO's who might benefit from it, too.)

Simply put, William Zinsser respected the written word. He just wanted the rest of us to do the same.