My four articles of faith: clarity, simplicity, brevity and humanity.

Writers are the custodians of memory, and that's what this chapter is about: how to leave some kind of record of your life and of the family you were born into.

If writing seems hard, it's because it is hard. It's one of the hardest things people do.

Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.

One of underestimated tasks in nonfiction writing is to impose narrative shape on an unwieldy mass of material.

Never hesitate to imitate another writer. Imitation is part of the creative process for anyone learning an art or a craft. Bach and Picasso didn't spring full-blown as Bach or Picasso; they needed models. This is especially true of writing.

The game is won or lost on hundreds of small details.