Albums APHC Clips Audio Events Prairie Home Archives Songs Writer's Almanac
Writer's Almanac

To subscribe to the Writer’s Almanac Anniversary Episode email, which includes the unedited text and audio from one daily anniversary episode selected from the archive, click here >>>

To browse archived episodes of The Writer’s Almanac from before 2017, click here >>>

• • • • •

To support The Writer’s Almanac Anniversary Episodes newsletter, please consider “buying” a donation here >>>

You can also buy a paid subscription to the Anniversary Episode newsletter here >>>

Checks may be made out to Prairie Home Productions, LLC and mailed to:

Prairie Home Productions
P.O. Box 2090
Minneapolis, MN 55402

(Note: donations to LLCs are not tax-deductible)

• • • • •

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, December 23, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, December 23, 2021

It’s the birthday of Minnesota poet Robert Bly, who died just a month ago, Nov. 21st, a month shy of his 95th birthday. We feature his poem “The Call Away.”

Read More
The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, December 22, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, December 22, 2021

It’s the birthday Kenneth Rexroth (1905). He published more than 50 books of poetry and once said, “Man thrives where angels would die of ecstasy and where pigs would die of disgust.”

Read More
The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, December 21, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Today in 1879, the world premiere of Henrik Ibsen’s play “A Doll’s House” took place at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Read More
The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, December 20, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, December 20, 2021

“If it were denied me to write, I imagine I would die,” for through writing she makes sense of her own deepest experiences. –Elizabeth Benedict, born on this day in 1954.

Read More
The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, December 19, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, December 19, 2021

It was on this day in 1843 that Charles Dickens published “A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas.” Introducing the world to Scrooge, Marley’s Ghost, and Tiny Tim.

Read More
The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, December 18, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, December 18, 2021

Methodist hymn writer Charles Wesley was born on this day, 1707, in Epworth England. His hymns include “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” and “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.”

Read More
The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, December 17, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, December 17, 2021

200 years ago Kentucky became the first state to abolish debtor’s prison, where often people were imprisoned simply for being poor. Bankruptcy was set up to deal instead with unpayable debts.

Read More
The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, December 16, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, December 16, 2021

Jane Austen was born on this day, 1775, in England. Author of “Pride and Prejudice”, “Emma” and “Persuasion.”

Read More
The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, December 15, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, December 15, 2021

230 years ago the Bill of Rights was ratified by the United States of America. These powerful statements were spearheaded by James Madison, later the 4th president of the United States.

Read More
The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, December 14, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, December 14, 2021

It was on this day in 1911 that the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team became the first people ever to reach the South Pole.

Read More