Writing is a craft not an art.

Avoid the ecstatic adjectives that occupy such disproportionate space in every critic's quiver - words like "enthralling" and "luminous."

Clutter is the disease of American writing.

Be wary of security as a goal. It may often look like life's best prize. Usually it's not.

The best way to learn to write is to study the work of the men and women who are doing the kind of writing you want to do.

Probably every subject is interesting if an avenue into it can be found that has humanity and that an ordinary person can follow.

Writing organizes and clarifies our thoughts. Writing is how we think our way into a subject and make it our own. Writing enables us to find out what we know-and what we don't know-about whatever we're trying to learn.