The author of the indispensible “On Writing Well” has lost his vision but still coaches students through the minefields of non-fiction narrative. Writing in the New York Times, Dan Barry describes William Zinsser's lasting influence: "People come to him in stages of typed-out paralysis, stalled, uncertain whether they have written too much or too little. He tries to help them organize their thoughts by condensing, reducing — learning what not to include."
