I met Jeff Zaslow after a talk in Atlanta several years ago. He was discussing his experiences with my favorite book of his, The Girls of Ames: The Story of Women and a Forty Year Friendship.
I could immediately tell this father of three daughters was a deeply compassionate man who truly understood women. The trust he developed with his subjects came through in his writing and with each person in that audience. Once I read his WSJ columns and several other of his books I knew that it wasn’t just women who he “got.”
I spoke with Jeff briefly after his talk and wrote him about a story idea. He was so gracious and I was impressed that he took the time to respond.
Some people live long lives and never contribute a fraction of what Jeffrey Zaslow did. Though I can’t imagine the shock and sadness his family is experiencing, I hope they can take some comfort in knowing that he made a true difference to those whose stories he told and to those of us fortunate enough to read them.
To read a beautiful tribute to Jeffrey Zaslow, writer and father, read Tara Parker-Pope’s article in the NY Times.
Rest In Peace, Jeff.