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Writer's Almanac

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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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The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, December 16, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, December 16, 2022

On this day in 1775 a girl named Jane Austin was born. The seventh of eight children born to a clergyman and his wife, Jane Austin was to become one of the best known authors in the world.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, December 15, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, December 15, 2022

The movie Gone With the Wind opened in Atlanta on this date in 1939.he cast attended the premiere, with the notable exception of the African-American performers, who were prevented by Georgia’s Jim Crow laws from sitting next to their white co-stars.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, December 14, 2022

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, December 14, 2022

“It comes back to the question, whom are you writing for? Who are the readers you want? Who are the people you want to engage with the things that matter most to you? And for me, it’s people who don’t need it all spelled out because they know it, they understand it. –Amy Hempel, born on this day in 1951

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