Birthdays: Elizabeth Montagu (1718), Wallace Stevens (1879), Graham Greene (1904), Jackie Finney (1911), Jan Morris (1926), Vernor Vinge (1944), Achmat Dangor (1948), Dan Santat (1975),

Wallace Stevens won the 1955 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry

Quote: “Book lovers will understand me, and they will know too that part of the pleasure

of a library lies in its very existence.” ― Jan Morris

“The great advantage of being a writer is that you can spy on people. You’re there, listening to every word, but part of you is observing. Everything is useful to a writer, you see – every scrap, even the longest and most boring of luncheon parties.” – Graham Greene

Tip: Don’t overuse exclamation points. Your words should convey the emotion so you don’t have to rely on them.

Jumpstart: You have been given the gift of crafting a new world. What would you leave out? What would you add?