Birthdays: Gerhardt Hauptmann (1862), Marianne Moore (1887), Richmal Crompton (1890), David McCord (1897), Thomas Williams (1926), J.G. Ballard (1930), Daniel Pinkwater (1941), Carole Nelson Douglas (1944), Rick Atkinson (1952), Liane Moriarty (1966)

Gerhardt Hauptmann won the 1912 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Marianne Moore won the 1951 National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for “The Poems of Marianne Moore”.

Rick Atkinson won prizes in both History and Journalism.

Quote: “Never argue with a librarian; they know too much.” – Carole Nelson Douglas

“Think of nothing else but your story – not the world of publishing, or what makes a best-seller, or should you self-publish or not, or should it be more erotic or funnier or sadder, or how will you make sure nobody else steals your ideas – just lose yourself in the pleasure of writing your story. Then edit, edit, edit. THEN and only then should you think about all that other stuff.” – Liane Moriarty

Tip: Numbers between twenty and ninety-nine are usually spelled out, and always hyphenated: twenty-one, ninety-nine. After 100, they are usually written as numbers: 101, 199. Note: I said “usually” – there are exceptions, such as when writing an address: 35 North Main Street – and others.

Jumpstart: I stared at the stars overhead. They were amazing. Then, one got bigger…