Never let anything go out into the world that you don't understand.

To defend what you've written is a sign that you are alive.

Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can't exist without the other.

You'll never make your mark as a writer unless you develop a respect for words and a curiosity about their shades of meaning that is almost obsessive. The English language is rich in strong and supple words. Take the time to root around and find the ones you want

Don’t try to visualize the great mass audience. There is no such audience—every reader is a different person.

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.

Every successful piece of nonfiction should leave the reader with one provocative thought that he or she didn't have before. Not two thoughts, or five - just one. So decide what single point you want to leave in the reader's mind.