Birthdays: Leonard Bacon (1887), Antonia Forest (1915), Edward Whittemore (1933), Sheila Greenwald (1934), Carol O’Connell (1947), Alan Hollinghurst (1954), Simon Armitage (1963), Caitlin Kiernan (1964)

Leonard Bacon won the 1940 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for “Sunderland Capture”.

Quote: “You’re learning to write a book every time you sit down to do it. I know that sounds a little strange, but in every book you’re presented with new possibilities, new environment, different people, new story lines. You’re learning how to do it all over again.” – Carol O’Connell

“I cannot allow your ignorance,  however great, to take precedence over my knowledge, however small.” ― Leonard Bacon

Tip: Don’t use the names of real people for a character unless there’s a strong reason to do so. You could open yourself up to a lawsuit.

Jumpstart: You’ve found a magic mirror. It will tell you one truth about the future. What do you ask it?