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The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, September 6, 2024

Posted on September 6, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of writer Alice Sebold, born in Madison, Wisconsin (1963). She grew up near Philadelphia — and she says that she was the “weird” one in an otherwise normal, suburban, middle-class family. Her older sister was smart and talented, but Alice fell between the cracks. She was turned down by the University of Pennsylvania even though her father was a professor there.

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, September 5, 2024

Posted on September 5, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of comedian and actor Bob Newhart, born in the Austin area of Chicago (1929). Newhart started out as an accountant before he began doing stand-up comedy in the 1950s. He became known for his deadpan style and slight stammer. He said: “I’ve been told to speed up my delivery when I perform. But if I lose the stammer, I’m just another slightly amusing accountant.”

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Posted on September 4, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of Richard Wright, born on a plantation near Natchez, Mississippi (1908). He’s the author of Uncle Tom’s Children (1938), Black Boy (1945), as well as a number of short stories and a volume of haiku, but he’s best known for his novel Native Son (1940).

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Posted on September 3, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of British manufacturer Matthew Boulton, born in Birmingham, England (1728). Boulton and his business partner James Watt introduced the public to the Boulton & Watt steam engine, a machine that revolutionized manufacturing.

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, September 2, 2024

Posted on September 2, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It was on this day in 1935 that George Gershwin officially completed the score for the opera Porgy and Bess. Nine years earlier, during tryouts for his musical Oh, Kay! (1926), Gershwin picked up the novel Porgy by DuBose Heyward. Set in the slums of Charleston, South Carolina, the book told the story of a crippled beggar named Porgy, a beautiful drug addict named Bess, and her abusive lover, Crown.

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, September 1, 2024

Posted on September 1, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It was on this day in 1773 that 20-year-old Phillis Wheatley published Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. It was the first book of poetry published by an African-American. Phillis was born in West Africa and brought over as a slave when she was a young girl. She was purchased by a Boston family, who taught her to read and write, and eventually gave her her freedom.

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, August 31, 2024

Posted on August 31, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of Maria Montessori, born on this day in Chiaravalle, Italy (1870). She was a bright student, studied engineering when she was 13, and — against her father’s wishes — she entered a technical school, where all her classmates were boys. After a few years, she decided to pursue medicine, and she became the first woman in Italy to earn a medical degree.

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, August 30, 2024

Posted on August 30, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of Giorgio Vasari, born in Arezzo, Italy (1511). He was trained as a painter, but is remembered now for his Lives of the Most Excellent Italian Painters, Sculptors and Architects, more commonly known as Lives of the Painters. Vasari’s work is still regarded as the best contemporary source of information about Renaissance art.

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, August 29, 2024

Posted on August 29, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker, born in Kansas City, Kansas (1920). He is considered one of the half-dozen greatest jazz musicians, right up there with Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Early in his career, he received the nickname of “Yardbird,” and then he became known as “Bird.”

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Posted on August 28, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of the father of German literature, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, born in Frankfurt, Germany (1749), the author of the epic drama Faust.

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