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Writer's Almanac

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The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, January 14, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, January 14, 2021

It’s the birthday of author Anchee Min (1957). Born in Maoist China, she has said “To be able to do art, it was a luxury to me.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, January 13, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Johnny Cash recorded his concert at Folsom Prison on this day in 1968, a concept originating from his now classic song, “Folsom Prison Blues”.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, January 12, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, January 12, 2021

It’s the birthday of James Winthrop (1588), who called the new world a “City on the Hill” but also emphasized that “the rich had a holy duty to look after the poor.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, January 11, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, January 11, 2021

It’s the birthday of doctor and philosopher William James (1842), who coined the term “Pragmatism.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, January 10, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, January 10, 2021

Today, for her birthday, we feature the poem “Against Endings” by Dorianne Laux. She advises, “Any good poem is asking you simply to slow down.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, January 9, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, January 9, 2021

Today is the birthday of French novelist and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir (1908) who wrote “One is not born a woman, one becomes one.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, January 8, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, January 8, 2021

It’s the birthday of physicist and author Stephen Hawking (1942) who beat the odds of life with ALS, surviving for 55 years and publishing more than 20 books.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, January 7, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, January 7, 2021

Author Zora Neale Hurston was born on this day in 1891. Author of “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” and “Barracoon: The Story of the Last ‘Black Cargo.'”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, January 6, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, January 6, 2021

“Everything is held together with stories. That is all that is holding us together, stories and compassion.” –Barry Lopez, (1945)

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The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, January 5, 2021

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Today is the birthday of poet W.D. Snodgrass (1926). Inspired to write by the demise of his marriage, he helped invent the style of confessional poetry.

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