My non-fiction writing idol, William Zinsser, died last Tuesday at the age of 92. I didn't know him but I spoke to him once on the phone, to interview him for this blog. It's a strange thing when someone you adored from a distance dies. I'm not grieving, although I feel for his family and friends, who must be. I just wish he was still out in the world, advocating simplicity and advising writers. I knew that he was old, but I didn't think about the implications of his age. I had hoped that if I ever wrote a memoir, he might want to see it. An improbable fantasy - but now it's impossible . It's also strange that Zinsser's death should come in the same week as the anniversary of another, more personal death. I don't know. It is sad that these people aren't here anymore. I feel Zinsser's absence like I would feel the loss of a molar. T...