William Safire is one of the reasons I learned the power of words; how a single word can tell a whole story; how the right quote can add depth and power; and how the words — and even the letters* — we use to tell our stories matter (as much as, maybe more than, the story).

For instance, when I tell the story of Chanukah (which this year overlapped the anniversary of William Safire’s birth), there are certain words I use no matter how I tell the story.