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The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Posted on April 2, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of the fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, born in Odense, Denmark (1805), the son of an illiterate mother and a poor cobbler. He trained for the ballet, the stage and the opera, but when all of that failed, he settled on becoming a poet. His first novel gained him enough success that he was able to afford to travel, which would become his life-long passion.

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, April 1, 2024

Posted on April 1, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

Today is the birthday of political commentator Rachel Maddow. She was born in California’s Castro Valley (1973), not far from San Francisco. She was the first openly gay American to be chosen a Rhodes scholar, and she went on to become the first openly gay American news anchor.

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, March 31, 2024

Posted on March 31, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of philosopher René Descartes, born in La Haye en Touraine, France (1596), called the father of modern philosophy, but he considered himself a mathematician and scientist. He became interested in philosophy when he heard that the church persecuted Galileo for his scientific theories.

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, March 30, 2024

Posted on March 30, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of novelist Jon Hassler, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (1933). He worked as a teacher for 20 years before he became serious about writing, and his first novel, Staggerford (1977), was published when he was 42. He said he learned his craft at the Red Owl Grocery Store in Plainview, Minnesota where he started working when he was 11.

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, March 29, 2024

Posted on March 29, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of author, actor, and comedian Amy Sedaris. She was born in Endicott, New York, in 1961, and she grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She’s written two satirical homemaking books, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence (2006) and Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People (2010).

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, March 28, 2024

Posted on March 28, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of Nelson Algren (1909). Born Nelson Algren Abraham to working-class parents in Detroit, he grew up in Chicago’s immigrant neighborhoods. He wrote his first story, “So Help Me,” during the Great Depression, while he was working at a gas station in Texas. His life — and work — changed dramatically after he was caught stealing a typewriter and spent five months in jail.

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Posted on March 27, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

On this date in 1915, the woman known as “Typhoid Mary” was put into quarantine in a cottage in the Bronx. Her name was Mary Mallon, a large and fiery 40 year old Irish-American woman. She worked as a cook in and around New York City, and every household she worked in seemed to suffer an outbreak of typhoid fever.

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Posted on March 26, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of Robert Frost (1874). Born in San Francisco, he moved to Massachusetts when he was 11. He struggled a long time to become a successful poet. His style was out of fashion almost from the beginning — he was interested in the traditional forms of rhyme and meter, while his contemporaries such as Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, and T. S. Eliot were writing in modern free verse.

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, March 25, 2024

Posted on March 25, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of novelist Kate DiCamillo, born in Philadelphia (1964). She spent most of her childhood in Florida, but after college she moved to Minnesota. That first winter in Minnesota was one of the coldest on record, and DiCamillo missed her hometown in Florida horribly. She also desperately wanted a dog, but couldn’t have one because her apartment building didn’t allow dogs.

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, March 24, 2024

Posted on March 24, 2024 - Writer's Almanac

It was on this day in 1955 that Tennessee Williams’ play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof premiered in New York City at the Morosco Theatre. It was directed by Elia Kazan and starred Barbara Bel Geddes, Ben Gazzara, and Burl Ives. Tennessee Williams won a second Pulitzer Prize for the play, and a Tony Award, and the show ran for 694 performances. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof was Williams’ favorite play, but he despised the film version of it, with Elizabeth Taylor.

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