Literary Birthdays: Week of January 18 – January 24

Sunday January 18

A. A. (Alan Alexander) Milne (b. 1882) – British children’s book author, playwright, novelist, poet – Winnie the Pooh

See this charming Russian cartoon on Youtube – Winnie the Pooh visits Rabbit’s house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN0UlxJa2_E

Monday January 19

Edgar Allan Poe (b. 1809) – U.S. short story writer and poet – Tamerlane (1829)

Excerpt from the poem Tamerlane
We grew in age, and love together,
Roaming the forest and the wild;
My breast her shield in wintry weather,
And when the friendly sunshine smil’d
And she would mark the op’ning skies,
I saw no Heav’n, but in her eyes —
Ev’n childhood knows the human heart;
For when, in sunshine and in smiles,
From all our little cares apart,
Laughing at her half silly wiles,
I’d throw me on her throbbing breast,
And pour my spirit out in tears,
She’d look up in my wilder’d eye —
There was no need to speak the rest —
No need to quiet her kind fears —
She did not ask the reason why.

Tuesday January 20

Nancy Kress (b. 1948) – U.S. science fiction writer – Probability Space (2002)

Listen to Nancy Kress talk about how to write in scenes in a 2008 podcast:

Nancy Kress on Writing in Scenes podcast

Wednesday January 21

Richie Havens (b. 1941) – U.S. singer / songwriter – Freedom

Freedom / Freedom
Freedom / Freedom
Freedom / Freedom
Freedom / Freedom

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
A long way from my home

Sometimes I feel like I’m almost gone
Sometimes I feel like I’m almost gone
Sometimes I feel like I’m almost gone
A long, long, long, way, way from my home

Clap your hands / Clap your hands
Clap your hands / Clap your hands
Clap your hands / Clap your hands
Clap your hands / Clap your hands
Hey…yeah

I got a telephone in my bosom
And I can call him up from my heart
I got a telephone in my bosom
And I can call him up from my heart

When I need my brother…brother
When I need my father… father
When I need my mother…mother
When I need my sister…sister
Hey…yeah

Watch a Youtube video of Richie Havens singing Freedom at the 1969 Woodstock Festival:

Thursday January 22

Francis Bacon (b. 1561) – British philosopher – The New Atlantis (1626)

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Friday January 23

Elvira Lindo (b. 1962) – Spanish journalist, children’s novelist and adult novelist / screenwriter – Manolito Gafotas (1994)

Saturday January 24

Edith Wharton (b. 1862) – U.S. novelist – The Age of Innocence (1921 Pulitzer prize winner)

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