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Writer's Almanac

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The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, December 19, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, December 19, 2020

It’s the birthday of French singer Édith Piaf (1915-1963), who was raised by prostitutes in a brothel before becoming an international star.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, December 18, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, December 18, 2020

It’s the birthday of Fletcher “Smack” Henderson (1897), a pianist who majored in chemistry and mathematics and became famous as a bandleader and arranger.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, December 17, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, December 17, 2020

On this day in 1790, workers who were doing some repairs unearthed the Aztec Sun Stone in Mexico City.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, December 16, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, December 16, 2020

It is traditionally believed that Ludwig van Beethoven was born on this date in 1770. He grew up in Bonn, and then traveled to Vienna to learn from Mozart.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, December 15, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, December 15, 2020

“When anyone asks me about the Irish character, I say look at the trees. Maimed, stark and misshapen, but ferociously tenacious.” –Edna O’Brien

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The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, December 14, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, December 14, 2020

It’s the birthday of Shirley Jackson (1916-1965), author of “The Haunting of Hill House” and the short story “The Lottery.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, December 13, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, December 13, 2020

It’s the birthday of music critic Lester Bangs (1948-1982), who wrote, “The ultimate sin of any performer is contempt for the audience.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, December 12, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, December 12, 2020

It’s the birthday of painter Edvard Munch, who said, “My fear of life is necessary to me, as is my illness. Without anxiety and illness, I am a ship without a rudder.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, December 11, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, December 11, 2020

It’s the birthday of two writers who were lifelong friends: Jim Harrison (1937-2016) and Thomas McGuane (b. 1939).

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The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, December 10, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, December 10, 2020

It’s the birthday of English mathematician and inventor Ada Augusta Byron (AKA Ada Lovelace, born 1815), the first-ever computer programmer.

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