Tuesday

Feb. 2, 1999

Watching

by Madelyne Camrud

TUESDAY 2/2

Poem: "Watching" by Madelyn Camrud from THIS HOUSE IS FILLED WITH CRACKS, published by New Rivers Press (1994).

Today is Groundhog Day, when if the groundhog sees its shadow as it comes out of its hole, six weeks of winter will return; but if the day is cloudy and the groundhog sees no shadow, it takes it as a sign of coming spring and stays above ground.

It's the birthday of writer James Dickey who started out writing ad copy for Coca-Cola and went on to write DELIVERANCE; he was born in Atlanta, 1923.

Writer Ayn Rand (WE THE LIVING; THE FOUNTAIN-HEAD; ATLAS SHRUGGED) was born today in St. Petersburg, Russia, 1905.

It's the birthday of American violinist Jascha Heifetz, born in Russia in 1901.

Writer James Joyce (DUBLINERS; A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN; FINNEGAN'S WAKE; ULYSSES) was born on this day in Dublin, 1882.

The National League was formed today in 1876 with eight baseball teams.

Today in 1655 a British fleet captured New Amsterdam, the trading center of the Dutch colony in North America, renaming it New York for its new governor, the Duke of York.

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.®

 

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  • “Writers end up writing stories—or rather, stories' shadows—and they're grateful if they can, but it is not enough. Nothing the writer can do is ever enough” —Joy Williams
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  • “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” —Thomas Mann
  • “Writing is 90 percent procrastination: reading magazines, eating cereal out of the box, watching infomercials.” —Paul Rudnick
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