Birthdays: Louis Leakey (1903), James Randi (1928), Betsy Byars (1928), Jerry Poumelle (1933), Garrison Keillor (1942), Anne Fadiman (1953), Vladimir Sorokin (1955)
Betsy Byars won the 1971 Newbery Medal for “Summer of the Swans”. She also won a National Book Award for Children’s Fiction and an Edgar Award.
Jerry Poumelle is best known for “The Mote in God’s Eye” and “Lucifer’s Hammer” (in collaboration with Larry Niven).
Quote: “When I type a title page, I hold it and I look at it and I think, I just need four thousand sentences to go with this and I’ll have a book.” – Betsy Byars
Tip: Professional jealousy exists. Try not to let it control you. If a friend gets better contracts, etc. than you, be happy for them. Celebrate their success.
Jumpstart: An asteroid is going to hit Earth and there are only enough ships and room on the moon for a small portion of the population. You’re the person who has to choose. How do you do it and who do you save?
Sparkling Book Reviews 