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The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, December 26, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, December 26, 2022

Today is the 67th birthday of humorist David Sedaris. Sedaris has kept a diary for decades which he uses in writing his work. He says, “It’s a lot of work for something no one’s ever going to see.” His latest book is “Happy-Go-Lucky” which was published in May 2022.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, December 25, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, December 25, 2022

Christmas day is the birthday of Clara Barton (1821). She was working in Washington, D.C., when the Civil War broke out, and she began tending to wounded soldiers. She was afraid that soldiers would lose too much blood if they were brought to a hospital, so she started the practice of treating the wounded at the battlefield. Eventually, she went on to found the American Red Cross.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, December 24, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, December 24, 2022

On Christmas Eve in 1906, the first radio program was broadcast. Canadian-born Professor Reginald Aubrey Fessenden sent his signals from the 420-foot radio tower of the National Electric Signaling Company, at Brant Rock on the Massachusetts seacoast. Fessenden opened the program by playing “O Holy Night” on the violin. Later he recited verses from the Gospel of St. Luke, then broadcast a gramophone version of Handel’s “Largo.” His signal was received up to five miles away.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, December 23, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, December 23, 2022

Today celebrates the birth in 1926 of Robert Bly, poet, translator, and anti-war activist. His books include “Eating the Honey of Words,” and we feature a poem from that work “Looking at the Stars.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, December 22, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, December 22, 2022

“The free, creative, loving people who shine so brightly in my memory of studios and coffee shops have become models for a huge section of the population. If they in turn can just stay alive in the face of power and terror, they may become the decisive section.” –Kenneth Rexroth, born on this day in 1905.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, December 21, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Today is the birthday of author Edward Hoagland (1932) who said “Country people do not behave as if they think life is short; they live on the principle that it is long, and savor variations of the kind best appreciated if most days are the same.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, December 20, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Sandra Cisneros, best known for the highly acclaimed coming-of-age novel “The House on Mango Street,” celebrates her 69th birthday today!

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The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, December 19, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, December 19, 2022

Today is the birthday of French chanteuse Édith Piaf (1915). Piaf became one of the most popular performers in France during World War II. Her last words were, “Every damn thing you do in this life, you have to pay for.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, December 18, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, December 18, 2022

It’s the birthday of Methodist hymn writer Charles Wesley, born in Epworth, England (1707). His hymns include “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing,” and “Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, December 17, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, December 17, 2022

The first episode of The Simpsons aired on this date in 1989. Created by Matt Groening, it’s the longest-running animated series in television history.

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