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

by William Zinsser

“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.”

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, Teaching, New York

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 13, 2009

About the author

William Knowlton Zinsser 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. He has been a longtime contributor to leading magazines.

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this simply because I like Zinsser’s writing style, and so I’ll read pretty much anything he writes about. It's a good read, even though this is not the best of Zinsser’s work. I enjoyed the sections on the history of places he worked, his writing process behind On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, and some of his jokes are good. But other places grew stale, and there’s a lot of name dropping and insider references. This is not a must-read.

[Jestertim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as his writing guide

[LOVEROFBOOKS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok. Solid three stars.

I made the mistake of reading this at the same time I found his On Writing Well. Back and forth I go, and this one doesn't hold up as well as OWW.

It was hit and miss with me. Some of it was interesting but many times I had to mentally bring myself back to the book and rereading passages I found I wasn't really reading.

If you're only going to read one, read On Writing Well. I absolutely am loving that book and highlighting so much. This book seemed too technical to me.

[Shannon Guerra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved On Writing Well, and have read at least two or three of Zinsser’s other books, but this one just does not compare — it’s full of name dropping and humble brags, with surprisingly little about actual writing and even less about the specific places he wrote in. Highly skimmable, but better to just skip it entirely and stick with On Writing Well.

[Odyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir plus lessons on writing. Anyone who plans on reading this book should read On Writing Well first. :)

[Marty · Rating 2 out of 5]

WRITING PLACES is a memoir of a writer, of Bill Zinsser's experiences as a journalist, freelance writer, and teacher. I think writers are super cool and secretly want to be one, which is why I picked this.

I feel terrible saying this, since Zinsser seems like a very nice older gentlemen, but I found the first part of this book to be pretty unreadable. It sort of like reading a Dominick Dunne social column in that it was full of names that I didn't know, little anecdotes that I didn't really see the significance of. The book picks up a little bit when he gets to Yale and writes ON WRITING WELL, but I just didn't see a lot of insight or thoughtfulness about his life here.

I wouldn't recommend it.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made me look for my father's old typewriter. Turns out it was stolen or lost, but after a few hours of googling I managed to find out that my father owned an Underwood Leader 1956 portable typewriter, which is not for sale anywhere. I did bid for an Olivetti Valentine, though.

Zinsser writes so lovingly about his Underwood, and about the green metal desk that accompanied it for so many years, that it really broke my heart when he enters an IBM showroom and acquires that huge Displaywriter.

I read this a few days after finishing "On Writing Well", only because I found Mr. Zinsser so likable and honest. But as another reviewer put it, the first half of the book is a bit slow, and it picks up by the time he accepts a teaching position at Yale University.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this author! I have known about his books, but I had not previously actually read one. It was a pleasant nostlagia trip to read his impressions of Yale. He made even New York City sound appealing. He is a bit of a Luddite. I will be reading more of his books.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though sadly I will never meet Mr. Zinsser, I feel after reading Writing Places that we are old friends. He is a generous soul telling the story of his life with good humor. The last sentence came too quickly.

[David Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice memoir of a working writer. Its a good way to sample his earlier work. I have looked at his earlier books and he lifted whole pages from the previous work to fill up this one. That doesn't kill the enjoyment of the book, just to know, this is territory he has tread before

[RuthAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would recommend: Yes

Reading Writing Places made me want to get out there and write! Right now! Just thinking about it gives me a thrill.

[Doug Page]

Bottom line - no matter where you set up your Underwood (nka word processor), keep your fingers moving. And it doesn't hurt to be well-connected.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-written memoir by one of the most highly regarded writers of the 20th century. In addition to the many things Zinsser does well, he manages to keep his book brief--heeding, as always, his own advice. He cuts everything that is not essential.

I enjoyed not only his craft, but his story. He lived an interesting life and the stories in this book capture much of the adventure of being a soldier, a journalist in Manhattan, a professor at Yale, a globe-trotting free-lance writer, and the best-selling author of ON WRITING WELL (a book he updated regularly).

WRITING PLACES was a pleasure to read.

Finally, the audio book was made better by the voice of Mr. Zinsser. He is one of those few writers who can read his own work decently. I enjoyed his aging voice, his obvious affection for his subject matter, and the accent of a life-long New Yorker. (He grew up in Yorkville--and so long ago, he confessed even as an old man that no matter the day, no matter the occasion, he would not appear in the City without a coat and tie).

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zinsser wrote about a lifetime of writing, a lifetime of jobs, and a lifetime of places where those were joined. It was informative and enjoyable to read some of the background for his book "On Writing Well." He was a product of a different era. I chuckled thinking about his comment on not trusting a business man who wasn't wearing a coat and tie. He updated his book throughout life and strengthened it in many ways. His primary aim of clarifying writing through decluttered language is timeless.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zinsser had a long and fascinating career, and he writes about it with humor and specific detail. He worked for old-time newspapers, magazines (including the wonderful Life magazine), a college alumni magazine, and as a freelancer. He taught writing and wrote books about writing. He moved from using typewriters into the digital age.

[Suyog Ketkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a must-have for someone who wants to know the principles behind good memoir writing. It isn't an autobiography, it is a well-structured account of how the author progressed in his life, learning at every milestone. Writing Places, for that reason, is as much about writing as about places.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir from the author of On Writing Well supports the notion that, if you want to write well, it helps to read the work of writers who write well. Crisp, clear prose that draws you from paragraph to next paragraph, page to next page.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable autobiography of William Zinsser told from the perspective of the places where he has written. It slows and becomes less interesting in the middle, but the beginning and the end are quite enjoyable.

[Lacey Bard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, but so very self absorbed and seemed to be me me me oh and there was this historical event going on, but let's focus on me. Typical for the authors generation, but I honestly had no idea who he was prior to reading this book.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to be a newspaper reporter, and my editor recommended reading William Zinsser’s “On Writing Well.” I fell in love with his style, his perspective, and his cadence. Truthfully, he reads a lot like my old editor, and it feels like I’m catching up with my good friend when I read Zinsser’s work.

I listened to Zinsser narrate his nonfiction book, “Writing Places,” where he describes the different places he wrote and the types of jobs he had. He explains the birth of his most famous book, the death of the newspaper, and life in NYC. I found the read fascinating, but then again, I feel like I know Zinsser. If you haven’t read his work before, he considers himself a student of E. B. White, and I have found the two to be very similar.

[Gloria Bullman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

A great autobiography of the making of a writer and his subsequently helping form other writers. Fun to read and deeply thoughtful.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book as a deal for my Kindle, and it is worth far more than I paid for it. A great look at the life of the author, his love of writing, and the impact that writing has had on his life.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish I had met him!

[Hashim Alsughayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book about the writer’s journey through both life and his writing habits. Definitely made me want to read his On Writing Well.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gift to readers. Written with clarity, humanity, and humour - all the ingredients its author professes to be the formula of good writing.

[Atef Attia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, it's really more about places than Writing...

[Stan Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Add William Zinsser to the long list of people I wish that I’d met.

[Christopher Moellering · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently discovered William Zinsser, who died last year at the age of 92. I picked up the audio copy of this book at the library, which is unusual for me as I’m not usually given to audio books. It made a good companion on the A6 this week, though, as I had to drive about 90 minutes back and forth to Vilseck two days for work. In its audiobook format, it is of the best quality, unabridged, and read by the author. This seems the way an audiobook should be. On four compact discs, it lasted around four hours.

The book is an autobiography of a man who spent his life writing and teaching about writing. It is organized around the physical places he did most of his writing, each era of his life denoted by the parking place of his typewriter or eventually his word processor.

Zinsser started, professionally, as a newspaper man. He worked at the New York Herald Tribune for the first 13 years of his career after serving the Army in North Africa and Italy in World War II. After freelancing for about a decade, he began to feel the desire to teach about nonfiction writing. Having only a bachelor of arts, he knew it might not be easy.

After casting his idea far and wide to smaller and newer institutions, he was given his chance at a place neither small nor new: Yale University. There, he was able to teach and refine his teaching of writing. While at Yale, his wife Caroline suggested to him that he write a book about how to write. The following summer, On Writing Well was mid-wifed by his trusty Underwood typewriter. It became his best-selling work and went through many revisions and updates over the next thirty years.

On Writing Well, born out of his time at Yale, became a defining work as well. Its publication and eager reception by thousands led to invitations to teach in other places. Zinsser enjoyed helping people find their voice. He taught how to think clearly, and therefore to write clearly. He taught not only traditional undergraduates at Yale, but through the rest of his life he taught middle-aged women, laborers, and physicians, and even served as a writing tutor for ESL students.

Writing Places is well written. Zinsser was a man who practiced what he preached—clear, personal writing. He relates characters and details while staying focused on the book’s purpose of telling the story of his life as a writer and teacher of writing. Hearing him read his own work added to the intimacy of it. It also speaks well of his writing style that it sounded so natural as speech. The book’s tone and cadence were not much different than if he had been sitting in my passenger seat for two days. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys writing and writers.

[Taylor Church]

A quick read worth its time. The author was a little all over the place, and at times was reaching. But I kind of like authors that narrate as if truly from their mind, for who has completely coherent and organized thoughts all the time? I recommend this to anyone who likes writing, and is imagining a future in it. The author does wax a little verbose at times while describing architecture and local flora.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be advice about writing about places (travel writing) in the vein of On Writing Well, so I was disappointed to find it is a memoir about places the author has written. It's okay...a bit long winded, especially as I am not that inherently interested in his life. Short, though.