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Writer's Almanac

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The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, May 20, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, May 20, 2021

Honoré de Balzac was born this day in 1799. A prolific novelist and playwright, he is recognized as one of the fathers of literary realism.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Today would have been the 80th birthday of Nora Ephron, author of classic movies such as When Harry Met Sally (1989), and Sleepless in Seattle (1993). She said, “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, May 18, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Today is the birthday of Tina Fey (1970) an actress and writer of humor for print, stage, and screen. She said in her book “Bossypants,” “Do your thing and don’t care if they like it.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, May 17, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, May 17, 2021

Author Gary Paulsen is celebrating his 82nd birthday today. Author of “Hatchet” and “Dogsong” and other books mostly about coming of age and the wilderness.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, May 16, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, May 16, 2021

“Poetry is the liquid voice that can wear through stone.” –Adrienne Rich, born May 16, 1929.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, May 15, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, May 15, 2021

“The Dyings have been too deep for me, and before I could raise my heart from one, another has come.” –Emily Dickinson, died May 15, 1886.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, May 14, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, May 14, 2021

“It might be possible that the world itself is without meaning,” and “To love makes one solitary.” – quotes from “Mrs Dalloway” published May 14, 1925.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, May 13, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, May 13, 2021

The first American colony, Jamestown, was founded on this day 1607 in the territory of the Powhatan Algonquian people.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, May 12, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, May 12, 2021

“Writing, getting something down on the page, is a gratification that, like a child faced with a candy bar and an empty stomach, I have trouble postponing.” –Rosellen Brown, 1939

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The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, May 11, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, May 11, 2021

It was on this day in the year 868 A.D. that the Diamond Sutra was printed. It is the world’s oldest book bearing a specific date of publication.

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