Readers must be given room to bring their own emotions to a piece so crammed with emotional content; the writer must tenaciously resist explaining wh… - William Zinsser

Write about small, self-contained incidents that are still vivid in your memory. If you remember them, it's because they contain a larger truth that your readers will recognize in their own lives. Think small and you'll wind up finding the big themes in your family saga.

One of the words I railed against was “personality,” as in a “TV personality.” But now I wonder if it isn’t the only word for that vast swarm of people who are famous for being famous — and possibly nothing else. What did the Gabor sisters actually do?

There’s almost no more beautiful sight than a simple declarative sentence.