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Writer's Almanac

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

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

Featuring a poem by Jane Hirshfield called “Now A Darkness is Coming,” from her newest poetry collection, “Ledger.”

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

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

It’s the birthday of the poet Mary Oliver (1935-2019), whose partner, Molly, used to impersonate her on the phone so that Mary wouldn’t have to talk to strangers.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, September 9, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, September 9, 2020

On this day 170 years ago, California became a U.S. state after being wrested from Mexico. It was the 31st state admitted to the Union, just before Minnesota.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, September 8, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, September 8, 2020

It was on this day 100 years ago that the first transcontinental U.S. airmail service began, from New York to San Francisco.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, September 7, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, September 7, 2020

On this day in 2008, the U.S. government took control of the two largest mortgage lenders in the country, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, September 6, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, September 6, 2020

Using the Old Style calendar, it was on this day 400 years ago that the Mayflower sailed from Plymouth, England, bound for the New World.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, September 5, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, September 5, 2020

“On The Road” was published on this day in 1957. Jack Kerouac based his novel on road trips with his friend Neal Cassady.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, September 4, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, September 4, 2020

It’s the birthday of novelist Richard Wright, author of “Native Son” (1940), who said, “All literature is protest. You can’t name a single novel that isn’t protest.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, September 3, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, September 3, 2020

It’s the birthday of war correspondent Marguerite Higgins (1920-1966), who fought for her right to cover the Korean War and who died while covering Vietnam.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, September 2, 2020

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, September 2, 2020

It’s the birthday of Albert Goodwill Spalding (1850), a baseball player and a founder of the sporting goods company A.G. Spalding and Brothers.

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