Birthdays: Alexis de Tocqueville (1805), Booth Tarkington (1869), Eyvind Johnson (1900), Stanley Kunitz (1905), Sam Sinclair Baker (1909), Chester Himes (1909), Edwin O’Connor (1918), Sharon Creech (1945), Kathleen Krull (1952), Didier Van Cauwelaert (1960), Chang-rae Lee (1965), Adele Griffin (1970), Wil Wheaton (1972)

Eyvind Johnson shared the 1957 Nobel Prize for Literature with Harry Martinson.

Stanley Kunitz was the winner of the 1955 National Book Award for Poetry and the US Poet Laureate in both 1974 and 2000.

Edwin O’Connor won the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for “The Edge of Sadness”

Sharon Creech won the Newbery Medal for “Walk Two Moons”

Quote: “I love the way that each book—any book—is its own journey. You open it, and off you go….” ― Sharon Creech

Tip: When thinking about marketing, think outside the box. Write a book about a pet shop? Try selling your books there. A hair salon figure in your story? Ask them if they’d sell some books for you. Be creative, but don’t be a pest. If you’ve never gone into a particular bookstore or shop, don’t expect them to be open to selling your books for you.

Jumpstart: There was an accident at a science lab you were visiting and you’ve been shifted into a different phase. You can see and hear everyone, but no one can see or hear you. What do you do? Remember, being out of phase with this reality means no food or other comforts for you.