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The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, January 28, 2024

Posted on January 28, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of French novelist Colette, born in the village of Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, Burgundy (1873).When Colette was 17 she met Henri Gauthier-Villars, fifteen years her senior, who went by the name “Willy.” Willy was well-known in the Paris publishing world—he used ghost writers to turn out cheap novels which he published under his own name. He married Colette when she was 20, and introduced her to the Parisian nightlife.

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, January 27, 2024

Posted on January 27, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, born in Cheshire, England (1832). He was a painfully shy mathematician and church deacon who kept fastidious charts showing what his guests had eaten when they’d dined with him and what chair they’d sat in. He even summarized and filed all of his correspondence in a catalogue system containing 98,000 cross references.

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, January 26, 2024

Posted on January 26, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of painter Kees van Dongen, born in Holland (1877). He was a key member of the Fauves, the art movement called “Wild Beasts” because they distorted forms and used wild, exuberant color. Van Dongen used emerald green and intense pure reds and oranges; he painted skin tones of mauve and shadows of apple green while creating his portraits of down and out characters.

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, January 25, 2024

Posted on January 25, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of poet Robert Burns, born in Alloway, Scotland (1759). He was the son of a poor farmer, the oldest of seven children; when his father died, he inherited the farm, but soon lost it. In his 37 years, Burns managed a fierce amount of both work and carousing. He’s best known for the hundreds of songs he wrote or adapted—though he was tone deaf, and couldn’t sing very well himself.

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Posted on January 24, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of Edith Wharton, born Edith Newbold Jones, in New York City (1862), author of Ethan Fromme (1911), The Age of Innocence (1920), and an autobiography, A Backward Glance.

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Posted on January 23, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of painter Edouard Manet, born on the Left Bank of Paris (1832). He’s known for his scenes of Parisian cafes and bars, paintings which were controversial for their time: for example, “Luncheon on the Grass” depicted two clothed men and a nude women seated in a field.

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, January 22, 2024

Posted on January 22, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of choreographer and dancer George Balanchine, born Georgi Balanchivadze, in St. Petersburg, Russia (1904).His father was a composer who studied under Rimsky-Korsakov, so Balanchine knew music well by the time he took up dance.He studied at the Maryinsky Theater’s ballet school and at age 20 joined Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in Paris.

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, January 21, 2024

Posted on January 21, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of blues singer and songwriter Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter (sometimes noted as January 20 or January 29), born in Mooringsport, Louisiana (1888). He’s best known for his songs “Goodnight Irene,” “Midnight Special,” and “Rock Island Line” and for his skill in playing 12-string guitar.

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, January 20, 2024

Posted on January 20, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of novelist and short-story writer Robert Olen Butler, born in Granite City, Illinois (1945). Butler worked as a cab driver, an editor, in a steel-mill, and as a teacher in both high school and college. He started off at Northwestern University as a theater major, but before graduating he turned to playwriting, deciding he would “rather write the words than mouth them.”

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, January 19, 2024

Posted on January 19, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of the poet and short-story writer Edgar Allan Poe, born in Boston (1809). He was the son of two actors, but both his parents died of tuberculosis when he was just a boy. He was taken in by a wealthy Scotch merchant named John Allan, who gave Edgar Poe his middle name. His foster father sent him to the prestigious University of Virginia, where he was surrounded by the sons of wealthy slave-owning families. He developed a habit of drinking and gambling with the other students, but his foster father didn’t approve. He and John Allan had a series of arguments about his behavior and his career choices, and he was finally disowned and thrown out of the house.

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