http://odeo.com/channels/98109-APM-Garrison-Keillor-s-The-Writer-s-Almanac-Podcast-feed SarahRosenau no Each day, The Writer's Almanac features Garrison Keillor recounting the highlights of this day in history and reading a short poem or two. The Writer's Almanac is produced by Prairie Home Productions and presented by American Public Media. Each day, The Writer's Almanac features Garrison Keillor recounting the highlights of this day in history and reading a short poem or two. The Writer's Almanac is produced by Prairie Home Productions and presented by American Public Media. Literary history and poems en-us 40 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:57:28 -0800 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:57:28 -0800 Literature http://odeo.com/episodes/25449090-Nov-14-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Saturday’s Poem: “Cranberry-Orange Relish” by John Engels, from Sinking Creek. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1851 that Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick was published, and it was a total flop. He had pored his heart and soul into the novel and he thought it was his masterpiece, but neither the critics nor readers agreed with him. His readers wanted a swashbuckling adventure story, like Melville’s earlier novels, so Moby-Dick was too heavy and allegorical for most people. Only… Saturday’s Poem: “Cranberry-Orange Relish” by John Engels, from Sinking Creek. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1851 that Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick was published, and it was a total flop. He had pored his heart and soul into the novel and he thought it was his masterpiece, but neither the critics nor readers agreed with him. His readers wanted a swashbuckling adventure story, like Melville’s earlier novels, so Moby-Dick was too heavy and allegorical for most people. Only… Saturday’s Poem: “Cranberry-Orange Relish” by John Engels, from Sinking Creek. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1851 that Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick was published, and it was a total flop. He had pored his heart and soul into the novel and he thought it was his masterpiece, but neither the critics nor readers agreed with him. His readers wanted a swashbuckling adventure story, like Melville’s earlier novels, so Moby-Dick was too heavy and allegorical for most people. Only… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-13,25449090 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:57:28 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25445214-Nov-13-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Friday’s Poem: “Grapefruit” by Ted McMahon, from The Uses of Imperfection. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the man who wrote the first memoir in Western literature: St. Augustine, born in 354 in Thagaste, which is now in Algeria. He is best known for his Confessions, a 13-book autobiography of his life and conversion. He wrote, “Wisdom and folly both are like meats that are wholesome and unwholesome, and courtly or simple words are like town-made or rustic vessels — both kinds of… Friday’s Poem: “Grapefruit” by Ted McMahon, from The Uses of Imperfection. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the man who wrote the first memoir in Western literature: St. Augustine, born in 354 in Thagaste, which is now in Algeria. He is best known for his Confessions, a 13-book autobiography of his life and conversion. He wrote, “Wisdom and folly both are like meats that are wholesome and unwholesome, and courtly or simple words are like town-made or rustic vessels — both kinds of… Friday’s Poem: “Grapefruit” by Ted McMahon, from The Uses of Imperfection. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the man who wrote the first memoir in Western literature: St. Augustine, born in 354 in Thagaste, which is now in Algeria. He is best known for his Confessions, a 13-book autobiography of his life and conversion. He wrote, “Wisdom and folly both are like meats that are wholesome and unwholesome, and courtly or simple words are like town-made or rustic vessels — both kinds of… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-13,25445214 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:18:34 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25439677-Nov-12-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Thursday’s Poem: “My Father’s Football Game” by David Wagoner, from Traveling Light: Collected and New Poems. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of writer Tracy Kidder, born in New York in 1945. He served as a lieutenant in the Vietnam War, and when he came home, all he wanted to do was write. So he started writing nonfiction, and he’s the author of The Soul of a New Machine (1981), Mountains Beyond Mountains (2003), and many more books. His most recent is Strength in What Remains,… Thursday’s Poem: “My Father’s Football Game” by David Wagoner, from Traveling Light: Collected and New Poems. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of writer Tracy Kidder, born in New York in 1945. He served as a lieutenant in the Vietnam War, and when he came home, all he wanted to do was write. So he started writing nonfiction, and he’s the author of The Soul of a New Machine (1981), Mountains Beyond Mountains (2003), and many more books. His most recent is Strength in What Remains,… Thursday’s Poem: “My Father’s Football Game” by David Wagoner, from Traveling Light: Collected and New Poems. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of writer Tracy Kidder, born in New York in 1945. He served as a lieutenant in the Vietnam War, and when he came home, all he wanted to do was write. So he started writing nonfiction, and he’s the author of The Soul of a New Machine (1981), Mountains Beyond Mountains (2003), and many more books. His most recent is Strength in What Remains,… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-11,25439677 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:45:31 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25435399-Nov-11-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Wednesday’s Poem: “The Hero’s Luck” by Lawrence Raab, from The History of Forgetting. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Mexican novelist and essayist Carlos Fuentes, born in Panama City in 1928. His father was a Mexican diplomat, and growing up, Carlos moved all over the place—to Brazil, the United States, Argentina, Chile—but every summer he spent in Mexico with his grandmothers, and they were both storytellers. And he has written many books, including The Death of Artemio Cruz… Wednesday’s Poem: “The Hero’s Luck” by Lawrence Raab, from The History of Forgetting. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Mexican novelist and essayist Carlos Fuentes, born in Panama City in 1928. His father was a Mexican diplomat, and growing up, Carlos moved all over the place—to Brazil, the United States, Argentina, Chile—but every summer he spent in Mexico with his grandmothers, and they were both storytellers. And he has written many books, including The Death of Artemio Cruz… Wednesday’s Poem: “The Hero’s Luck” by Lawrence Raab, from The History of Forgetting. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Mexican novelist and essayist Carlos Fuentes, born in Panama City in 1928. His father was a Mexican diplomat, and growing up, Carlos moved all over the place—to Brazil, the United States, Argentina, Chile—but every summer he spent in Mexico with his grandmothers, and they were both storytellers. And he has written many books, including The Death of Artemio Cruz… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-11,25435399 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:11:46 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25428894-Nov-10-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Tuesday’s Poem: “Dancing” by Margaret Atwood, from Morning in the Burned House. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of theologian Martin Luther, born on this day in Eisleben, Germany, in 1483. He was a devout monk who frequently punished himself to atone for his sins, whipping himself or lying in the snow all night long. But he became disillusioned with the bureaucracy of the Catholic Church. He finally decided that the answer was in the Bible itself, which said that salvation came from… Tuesday’s Poem: “Dancing” by Margaret Atwood, from Morning in the Burned House. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of theologian Martin Luther, born on this day in Eisleben, Germany, in 1483. He was a devout monk who frequently punished himself to atone for his sins, whipping himself or lying in the snow all night long. But he became disillusioned with the bureaucracy of the Catholic Church. He finally decided that the answer was in the Bible itself, which said that salvation came from… Tuesday’s Poem: “Dancing” by Margaret Atwood, from Morning in the Burned House. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of theologian Martin Luther, born on this day in Eisleben, Germany, in 1483. He was a devout monk who frequently punished himself to atone for his sins, whipping himself or lying in the snow all night long. But he became disillusioned with the bureaucracy of the Catholic Church. He finally decided that the answer was in the Bible itself, which said that salvation came from… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-09,25428894 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:37:08 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25424393-Nov-09-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Monday’s Poem: “No Direction Home” by Charles Wright, from Sestets. Monday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1967 that the first issue of Rolling Stone was published. It was started by 21-year-old Jann Wenner, who dropped out of Berkeley and borrowed $7,500 from family members and from people on a mailing list that he stole from a local radio station, and with that money he managed to put together a magazine. The cover of the first issue featured John Lennon, and in it, Wenner wrote,… Monday’s Poem: “No Direction Home” by Charles Wright, from Sestets. Monday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1967 that the first issue of Rolling Stone was published. It was started by 21-year-old Jann Wenner, who dropped out of Berkeley and borrowed $7,500 from family members and from people on a mailing list that he stole from a local radio station, and with that money he managed to put together a magazine. The cover of the first issue featured John Lennon, and in it, Wenner wrote,… Monday’s Poem: “No Direction Home” by Charles Wright, from Sestets. Monday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1967 that the first issue of Rolling Stone was published. It was started by 21-year-old Jann Wenner, who dropped out of Berkeley and borrowed $7,500 from family members and from people on a mailing list that he stole from a local radio station, and with that money he managed to put together a magazine. The cover of the first issue featured John Lennon, and in it, Wenner wrote,… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-09,25424393 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:06:26 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25420188-Nov-08-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Sunday’s Poem: “The Sacred” by Stephen Dunn, from Between Angels. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Indian novelist Raja Rao, born in Hassan, in southern India (1909). He grew up going to Muslim schools in India, majored in history and English, and moved to France at 19 to study at the Sorbonne. At the time, India was still under British colonial rule, and Rao was one of the first Indian writers to try to capture with the English language the rhythm of Indian life. He wrote his… Sunday’s Poem: “The Sacred” by Stephen Dunn, from Between Angels. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Indian novelist Raja Rao, born in Hassan, in southern India (1909). He grew up going to Muslim schools in India, majored in history and English, and moved to France at 19 to study at the Sorbonne. At the time, India was still under British colonial rule, and Rao was one of the first Indian writers to try to capture with the English language the rhythm of Indian life. He wrote his… Sunday’s Poem: “The Sacred” by Stephen Dunn, from Between Angels. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Indian novelist Raja Rao, born in Hassan, in southern India (1909). He grew up going to Muslim schools in India, majored in history and English, and moved to France at 19 to study at the Sorbonne. At the time, India was still under British colonial rule, and Rao was one of the first Indian writers to try to capture with the English language the rhythm of Indian life. He wrote his… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-08,25420188 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:02:51 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25415505-Nov-07-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Saturday’s Poem: “The Thumb” by Peter Schneider, from Line Fence. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of writer Albert Camus born in Mondovi, Algeria (1913). His book The Stranger was published in 1942, followed by a collection of essays, The Myth of Sisyphus (1942)… Saturday’s Poem: “The Thumb” by Peter Schneider, from Line Fence. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of writer Albert Camus born in Mondovi, Algeria (1913). His book The Stranger was published in 1942, followed by a collection of essays, The Myth of Sisyphus (1942)… Saturday’s Poem: “The Thumb” by Peter Schneider, from Line Fence. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of writer Albert Camus born in Mondovi, Algeria (1913). His book The Stranger was published in 1942, followed by a collection of essays, The Myth of Sisyphus (1942)… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-06,25415505 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:27:14 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25410727-Nov-06-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Friday’s Poem: “Twenty-three” by Liam Rector, from The Executive Director of the Fallen World. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of actor and novelist Ethan Hawke, born in Austin, Texas (1970). He’s best known for acting in such movies as Dead Poets Society (1989) and Training Day (2001), but he has also published some novels. He says he likes writing because it doesn’t require collaboration. His first novel, The Hottest State (1996), got mixed reviews, but most critics praised his… Friday’s Poem: “Twenty-three” by Liam Rector, from The Executive Director of the Fallen World. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of actor and novelist Ethan Hawke, born in Austin, Texas (1970). He’s best known for acting in such movies as Dead Poets Society (1989) and Training Day (2001), but he has also published some novels. He says he likes writing because it doesn’t require collaboration. His first novel, The Hottest State (1996), got mixed reviews, but most critics praised his… Friday’s Poem: “Twenty-three” by Liam Rector, from The Executive Director of the Fallen World. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of actor and novelist Ethan Hawke, born in Austin, Texas (1970). He’s best known for acting in such movies as Dead Poets Society (1989) and Training Day (2001), but he has also published some novels. He says he likes writing because it doesn’t require collaboration. His first novel, The Hottest State (1996), got mixed reviews, but most critics praised his… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-06,25410727 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:56:28 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25404510-Nov-05-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Thursday’s Poem: “Psalm for a Lost Summer” by Maura Stanton, from Immortal Sofa. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the Irish-American writer Tom Phelan, born in County Laois, Ireland (1940). He was a priest, a carpenter, and a professor before he came to the United States and became a writer. His best-known novel, In the Season of the Daisies (1993), is about the murder of a small boy by a member of the Irish Republican Army, after the boy witnessed a political murder. Phelan has… Thursday’s Poem: “Psalm for a Lost Summer” by Maura Stanton, from Immortal Sofa. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the Irish-American writer Tom Phelan, born in County Laois, Ireland (1940). He was a priest, a carpenter, and a professor before he came to the United States and became a writer. His best-known novel, In the Season of the Daisies (1993), is about the murder of a small boy by a member of the Irish Republican Army, after the boy witnessed a political murder. Phelan has… Thursday’s Poem: “Psalm for a Lost Summer” by Maura Stanton, from Immortal Sofa. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the Irish-American writer Tom Phelan, born in County Laois, Ireland (1940). He was a priest, a carpenter, and a professor before he came to the United States and became a writer. His best-known novel, In the Season of the Daisies (1993), is about the murder of a small boy by a member of the Irish Republican Army, after the boy witnessed a political murder. Phelan has… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-05,25404510 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:50:16 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25391192-Nov-04-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Wednesday’s Poem: “The Sum of Man” by Norah Pollard, from Death & Rapture in the Animal Kingdom. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of British satirist Evelyn Waugh, born in London (1903). He came from a literary family, but didn’t do well in school or as a teacher. He said, “I was from the first an obvious dud.” He was seriously in debt, without a job, and had just been rejected by the girl he liked, so he decided to drown himself in the ocean. He wrote a suicide note and jumped in… Wednesday’s Poem: “The Sum of Man” by Norah Pollard, from Death & Rapture in the Animal Kingdom. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of British satirist Evelyn Waugh, born in London (1903). He came from a literary family, but didn’t do well in school or as a teacher. He said, “I was from the first an obvious dud.” He was seriously in debt, without a job, and had just been rejected by the girl he liked, so he decided to drown himself in the ocean. He wrote a suicide note and jumped in… Wednesday’s Poem: “The Sum of Man” by Norah Pollard, from Death & Rapture in the Animal Kingdom. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of British satirist Evelyn Waugh, born in London (1903). He came from a literary family, but didn’t do well in school or as a teacher. He said, “I was from the first an obvious dud.” He was seriously in debt, without a job, and had just been rejected by the girl he liked, so he decided to drown himself in the ocean. He wrote a suicide note and jumped in… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-04,25391192 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:48:34 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25391194-Nov-03-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Tuesday’s Poem: “Driving at Night” by Sheila Packa, from The Mother Tongue. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of William Cullen Bryant, born in Cummington, Massachusetts (1794), who worked as a lawyer, hated it, wrote a history of world civilization in verse while still working as a lawyer in his 20s, quit his attorney job, became a journalist, and edited the New York Evening Post for 50 years, during which time he promoted unions, condemned slavery, and advocated for a Central Park… Tuesday’s Poem: “Driving at Night” by Sheila Packa, from The Mother Tongue. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of William Cullen Bryant, born in Cummington, Massachusetts (1794), who worked as a lawyer, hated it, wrote a history of world civilization in verse while still working as a lawyer in his 20s, quit his attorney job, became a journalist, and edited the New York Evening Post for 50 years, during which time he promoted unions, condemned slavery, and advocated for a Central Park… Tuesday’s Poem: “Driving at Night” by Sheila Packa, from The Mother Tongue. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of William Cullen Bryant, born in Cummington, Massachusetts (1794), who worked as a lawyer, hated it, wrote a history of world civilization in verse while still working as a lawyer in his 20s, quit his attorney job, became a journalist, and edited the New York Evening Post for 50 years, during which time he promoted unions, condemned slavery, and advocated for a Central Park… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-04,25391194 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:48:34 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25391195-Nov-02-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Monday’s Poem: “The Accolade of the Animals” by Maxine Kumin, from Selected Poems 1960-1990. Monday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1950 that Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw died, at the age of 94. But it was not old age that he succumbed to, nor disease, the nonagenarian fell off a ladder while pruning trees in his garden and died later from complications of his injury. He said: “I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. Life is no ‘brief… Monday’s Poem: “The Accolade of the Animals” by Maxine Kumin, from Selected Poems 1960-1990. Monday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1950 that Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw died, at the age of 94. But it was not old age that he succumbed to, nor disease, the nonagenarian fell off a ladder while pruning trees in his garden and died later from complications of his injury. He said: “I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. Life is no ‘brief… Monday’s Poem: “The Accolade of the Animals” by Maxine Kumin, from Selected Poems 1960-1990. Monday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1950 that Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw died, at the age of 94. But it was not old age that he succumbed to, nor disease, the nonagenarian fell off a ladder while pruning trees in his garden and died later from complications of his injury. He said: “I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. Life is no ‘brief… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-04,25391195 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:48:34 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25391196-Nov-01-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Sunday’s Poem: :“Driving Nails” by Gary Lark, from Getting By. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the co-founder of postcolonial literary theory and the man described as Palestinians’ “most powerful political voice,” Edward Said, born in Jerusalem (1935), the son of Protestant Palestinians, one of whom was American. In 1980 — three decades ago — he wrote: “So far as the United States seems to be concerned, it is only a slight overstatement to say Moslems and Arabs are essentially… Sunday’s Poem: :“Driving Nails” by Gary Lark, from Getting By. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the co-founder of postcolonial literary theory and the man described as Palestinians’ “most powerful political voice,” Edward Said, born in Jerusalem (1935), the son of Protestant Palestinians, one of whom was American. In 1980 — three decades ago — he wrote: “So far as the United States seems to be concerned, it is only a slight overstatement to say Moslems and Arabs are essentially… Sunday’s Poem: :“Driving Nails” by Gary Lark, from Getting By. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the co-founder of postcolonial literary theory and the man described as Palestinians’ “most powerful political voice,” Edward Said, born in Jerusalem (1935), the son of Protestant Palestinians, one of whom was American. In 1980 — three decades ago — he wrote: “So far as the United States seems to be concerned, it is only a slight overstatement to say Moslems and Arabs are essentially… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-04,25391196 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:48:34 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25391197-Oct-31-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Saturday’s Poem: “How Many Nights” by Galway Kinnell, from Three Books. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day that Martin Luther published his 95 Theses in 1517, an event that led to the Protestant Reformation. Luther’s initial goal was not schism nor even confrontation; he was hoping that his statements would shame the Church into mending its ways. He was particularly upset by the selling of indulgences to save one’s soul and help achieve salvation in the afterlife. Luther insisted… Saturday’s Poem: “How Many Nights” by Galway Kinnell, from Three Books. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day that Martin Luther published his 95 Theses in 1517, an event that led to the Protestant Reformation. Luther’s initial goal was not schism nor even confrontation; he was hoping that his statements would shame the Church into mending its ways. He was particularly upset by the selling of indulgences to save one’s soul and help achieve salvation in the afterlife. Luther insisted… Saturday’s Poem: “How Many Nights” by Galway Kinnell, from Three Books. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day that Martin Luther published his 95 Theses in 1517, an event that led to the Protestant Reformation. Luther’s initial goal was not schism nor even confrontation; he was hoping that his statements would shame the Church into mending its ways. He was particularly upset by the selling of indulgences to save one’s soul and help achieve salvation in the afterlife. Luther insisted… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-04,25391197 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:48:34 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25391198-Oct-30-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Friday’s Poem: “She Dreamed of Cows” by Norah Pollard, from Death & Rapture in the Animal Kingdom. Friday’s Literary Notes:It’s the birthday of Ezra Pound, born in Hailey, Idaho (1885). He helped found the Imagist movement, along with H.D. — pen name of Hilda Doolittle — and declared its principles to be “direct treatment of the thing,” to use only words that “contribute to the presentation,” and in regard to rhythm: “to compose in the sequence of a musical phrase, not in the sequence of a… Friday’s Poem: “She Dreamed of Cows” by Norah Pollard, from Death & Rapture in the Animal Kingdom. Friday’s Literary Notes:It’s the birthday of Ezra Pound, born in Hailey, Idaho (1885). He helped found the Imagist movement, along with H.D. — pen name of Hilda Doolittle — and declared its principles to be “direct treatment of the thing,” to use only words that “contribute to the presentation,” and in regard to rhythm: “to compose in the sequence of a musical phrase, not in the sequence of a… Friday’s Poem: “She Dreamed of Cows” by Norah Pollard, from Death & Rapture in the Animal Kingdom. Friday’s Literary Notes:It’s the birthday of Ezra Pound, born in Hailey, Idaho (1885). He helped found the Imagist movement, along with H.D. — pen name of Hilda Doolittle — and declared its principles to be “direct treatment of the thing,” to use only words that “contribute to the presentation,” and in regard to rhythm: “to compose in the sequence of a musical phrase, not in the sequence of a… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-04,25391198 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:48:34 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25391199-Oct-29-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Thursday’s Poem: “Off to the Country of Cancer” by Liam Rector, from The Executive Director of the Fallen World. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the current editor of The New Yorker magazine, David Remnick, born in Hackensack, New Jersey (1958). He’s only the fifth editor in the 84-year history of the magazine. As a junior reporter with The Washington Post in Moscow, he was tasked with finding a hairdresser for an interview between his boss, Post owner Katherine Graham, and… Thursday’s Poem: “Off to the Country of Cancer” by Liam Rector, from The Executive Director of the Fallen World. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the current editor of The New Yorker magazine, David Remnick, born in Hackensack, New Jersey (1958). He’s only the fifth editor in the 84-year history of the magazine. As a junior reporter with The Washington Post in Moscow, he was tasked with finding a hairdresser for an interview between his boss, Post owner Katherine Graham, and… Thursday’s Poem: “Off to the Country of Cancer” by Liam Rector, from The Executive Director of the Fallen World. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the current editor of The New Yorker magazine, David Remnick, born in Hackensack, New Jersey (1958). He’s only the fifth editor in the 84-year history of the magazine. As a junior reporter with The Washington Post in Moscow, he was tasked with finding a hairdresser for an interview between his boss, Post owner Katherine Graham, and… tag:odeo.com,2009-11-04,25391199 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:48:34 -0800 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25383135-Oct-27-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Tuesday’s Poem: “The Digging” by Rennie McQuilkin, from The Weathering. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the novelist Zadie Smith, born in London (1975), who grew up black in a working-class London neighborhood where she had a hard time making friends with other kids. In her sophomore year at Cambridge, she published a short story in her undergraduate literary journal that attracted a lot of attention, and people said she should try to get a book contract for a novel. So while she… Tuesday’s Poem: “The Digging” by Rennie McQuilkin, from The Weathering. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the novelist Zadie Smith, born in London (1975), who grew up black in a working-class London neighborhood where she had a hard time making friends with other kids. In her sophomore year at Cambridge, she published a short story in her undergraduate literary journal that attracted a lot of attention, and people said she should try to get a book contract for a novel. So while she… Tuesday’s Poem: “The Digging” by Rennie McQuilkin, from The Weathering. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the novelist Zadie Smith, born in London (1975), who grew up black in a working-class London neighborhood where she had a hard time making friends with other kids. In her sophomore year at Cambridge, she published a short story in her undergraduate literary journal that attracted a lot of attention, and people said she should try to get a book contract for a novel. So while she… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-27,25383135 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:08:06 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25373479-Oct-26-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Monday’s Poem: “Diagramming Won’t Help This Situation” by Kevin Brown, from Exit Lines. Monday’s Literary Notes: On this day 50 years ago (in 1959), The Miracle Worker debuted on Broadway. It’s the story of how Annie Sullivan educated the young, blind-and-deaf Helen Keller. The play starred Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, ran for more than 700 performances, and won a Tony Award for Best Play. The Miracle Worker was written by William Gibson, based in part on the letters of Annie Sullivan — who… Monday’s Poem: “Diagramming Won’t Help This Situation” by Kevin Brown, from Exit Lines. Monday’s Literary Notes: On this day 50 years ago (in 1959), The Miracle Worker debuted on Broadway. It’s the story of how Annie Sullivan educated the young, blind-and-deaf Helen Keller. The play starred Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, ran for more than 700 performances, and won a Tony Award for Best Play. The Miracle Worker was written by William Gibson, based in part on the letters of Annie Sullivan — who… Monday’s Poem: “Diagramming Won’t Help This Situation” by Kevin Brown, from Exit Lines. Monday’s Literary Notes: On this day 50 years ago (in 1959), The Miracle Worker debuted on Broadway. It’s the story of how Annie Sullivan educated the young, blind-and-deaf Helen Keller. The play starred Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, ran for more than 700 performances, and won a Tony Award for Best Play. The Miracle Worker was written by William Gibson, based in part on the letters of Annie Sullivan — who… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-25,25373479 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:03:48 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25368189-Oct-25-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Sunday’s Poem: :“Baptism” by Ted Thomas Jr., from Singing With The Dead. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the artist Pablo Picasso, born in Malaga, Spain (1881). Picasso eschewed early success as a commercial artist to paint a series with somber blue backgrounds Picasso would spend these years in poverty, but it was during his Blue Period that he began to develop his own style and produce his early masterpieces, including The Old Guitarist (1902). By the middle of the 20th century,… Sunday’s Poem: :“Baptism” by Ted Thomas Jr., from Singing With The Dead. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the artist Pablo Picasso, born in Malaga, Spain (1881). Picasso eschewed early success as a commercial artist to paint a series with somber blue backgrounds Picasso would spend these years in poverty, but it was during his Blue Period that he began to develop his own style and produce his early masterpieces, including The Old Guitarist (1902). By the middle of the 20th century,… Sunday’s Poem: :“Baptism” by Ted Thomas Jr., from Singing With The Dead. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the artist Pablo Picasso, born in Malaga, Spain (1881). Picasso eschewed early success as a commercial artist to paint a series with somber blue backgrounds Picasso would spend these years in poverty, but it was during his Blue Period that he began to develop his own style and produce his early masterpieces, including The Old Guitarist (1902). By the middle of the 20th century,… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-25,25368189 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:01:09 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25361626-Oct-24-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Saturday’s Poem: “The Campus in Wartime” by Marvin Bell, from Mars Being Red. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the comic-book author Bob Kane, born in the Bronx (1916), the creator of Batman. He is alter ego of multimillionaire Bruce Wayne and one of the few superheroes in the history of comic books who doesn’t have any special powers. He’s just rich enough to build himself special crime-fighting gadgets. Kane said he based the character partly on Zorro, because he liked the idea… Saturday’s Poem: “The Campus in Wartime” by Marvin Bell, from Mars Being Red. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the comic-book author Bob Kane, born in the Bronx (1916), the creator of Batman. He is alter ego of multimillionaire Bruce Wayne and one of the few superheroes in the history of comic books who doesn’t have any special powers. He’s just rich enough to build himself special crime-fighting gadgets. Kane said he based the character partly on Zorro, because he liked the idea… Saturday’s Poem: “The Campus in Wartime” by Marvin Bell, from Mars Being Red. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the comic-book author Bob Kane, born in the Bronx (1916), the creator of Batman. He is alter ego of multimillionaire Bruce Wayne and one of the few superheroes in the history of comic books who doesn’t have any special powers. He’s just rich enough to build himself special crime-fighting gadgets. Kane said he based the character partly on Zorro, because he liked the idea… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-23,25361626 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:07:16 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25352876-Oct-23-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Friday’s Poem: “Gravity” by Louis Jenkins from Just Above Water. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Michael Crichton, born in Chicago (1942), whose novels include Jurassic Park (1990), Rising Sun (1992), Disclosure (1994), and State of Fear (2004). New York Times journalist Charles McGrath wrote: “Michael Crichton … was like a character in a Michael Crichton novel. He was unusually tall, strikingly handsome, and encyclopedically well informed about everything from dinosaurs to… Friday’s Poem: “Gravity” by Louis Jenkins from Just Above Water. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Michael Crichton, born in Chicago (1942), whose novels include Jurassic Park (1990), Rising Sun (1992), Disclosure (1994), and State of Fear (2004). New York Times journalist Charles McGrath wrote: “Michael Crichton … was like a character in a Michael Crichton novel. He was unusually tall, strikingly handsome, and encyclopedically well informed about everything from dinosaurs to… Friday’s Poem: “Gravity” by Louis Jenkins from Just Above Water. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Michael Crichton, born in Chicago (1942), whose novels include Jurassic Park (1990), Rising Sun (1992), Disclosure (1994), and State of Fear (2004). New York Times journalist Charles McGrath wrote: “Michael Crichton … was like a character in a Michael Crichton novel. He was unusually tall, strikingly handsome, and encyclopedically well informed about everything from dinosaurs to… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-22,25352876 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:51:18 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25345211-Oct-22-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Thursday’s Poem: “The Speaker” by Louis Jenkins, from Just Above Water. Thursday’s Literary Notes: On this day in 1964, Jean-Paul Sartre declined the Nobel Prize in literature. He was the first person in history to voluntarily and unrelentingly refuse a Nobel Prize. Sartre had not wanted to cause a scandal by declining the prize, nor did he want to offend the Swedish Academy, which had chosen him. After it was awarded, he prepared a statement noting that he always turned down “official… Thursday’s Poem: “The Speaker” by Louis Jenkins, from Just Above Water. Thursday’s Literary Notes: On this day in 1964, Jean-Paul Sartre declined the Nobel Prize in literature. He was the first person in history to voluntarily and unrelentingly refuse a Nobel Prize. Sartre had not wanted to cause a scandal by declining the prize, nor did he want to offend the Swedish Academy, which had chosen him. After it was awarded, he prepared a statement noting that he always turned down “official… Thursday’s Poem: “The Speaker” by Louis Jenkins, from Just Above Water. Thursday’s Literary Notes: On this day in 1964, Jean-Paul Sartre declined the Nobel Prize in literature. He was the first person in history to voluntarily and unrelentingly refuse a Nobel Prize. Sartre had not wanted to cause a scandal by declining the prize, nor did he want to offend the Swedish Academy, which had chosen him. After it was awarded, he prepared a statement noting that he always turned down “official… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-22,25345211 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:48:17 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25321764-Oct-21-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Wednesday’s Poem: “Patience” by Kay Ryan from Say Uncle. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Alfred Nobel, born in Stockholm (1833), for whom the Nobel Prizes are named. He was the owner of a company that manufactured weapons, which earned him a great fortune, and he was also the inventor of dynamite. After his older brother Ludvig died, a French newspaper printed a scathing obituary of Alfred Nobel, who was in fact alive and well. The writer was allegedly confused about who had… Wednesday’s Poem: “Patience” by Kay Ryan from Say Uncle. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Alfred Nobel, born in Stockholm (1833), for whom the Nobel Prizes are named. He was the owner of a company that manufactured weapons, which earned him a great fortune, and he was also the inventor of dynamite. After his older brother Ludvig died, a French newspaper printed a scathing obituary of Alfred Nobel, who was in fact alive and well. The writer was allegedly confused about who had… Wednesday’s Poem: “Patience” by Kay Ryan from Say Uncle. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Alfred Nobel, born in Stockholm (1833), for whom the Nobel Prizes are named. He was the owner of a company that manufactured weapons, which earned him a great fortune, and he was also the inventor of dynamite. After his older brother Ludvig died, a French newspaper printed a scathing obituary of Alfred Nobel, who was in fact alive and well. The writer was allegedly confused about who had… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-21,25321764 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:14:42 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25315925-Oct-20-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Tuesday’s Poem: “The First Artichoke” by Diane Lockward, from What Feeds Us. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of poet and essayist Robert Pinsky, born in Long Branch, New Jersey (1940) who said, “I grew up in a disorderly, unpredictable household, jangling alternations of comedy and history, insanity and idealism, doubt and head injury, music and anger, loss and wit.” He’s been asked many times how he got started as a poet, and has variously answered: “Imitating Yeats, Allen… Tuesday’s Poem: “The First Artichoke” by Diane Lockward, from What Feeds Us. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of poet and essayist Robert Pinsky, born in Long Branch, New Jersey (1940) who said, “I grew up in a disorderly, unpredictable household, jangling alternations of comedy and history, insanity and idealism, doubt and head injury, music and anger, loss and wit.” He’s been asked many times how he got started as a poet, and has variously answered: “Imitating Yeats, Allen… Tuesday’s Poem: “The First Artichoke” by Diane Lockward, from What Feeds Us. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of poet and essayist Robert Pinsky, born in Long Branch, New Jersey (1940) who said, “I grew up in a disorderly, unpredictable household, jangling alternations of comedy and history, insanity and idealism, doubt and head injury, music and anger, loss and wit.” He’s been asked many times how he got started as a poet, and has variously answered: “Imitating Yeats, Allen… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-20,25315925 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:11:16 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25310541-Oct-19-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Monday’s Poem: “Diagramming Won’t Help This Situation” by Kevin Brown, from Exit Lines. Monday’s Literary Notes: On this day 50 years ago (in 1959), The Miracle Worker debuted on Broadway. It’s the story of how Annie Sullivan educated the young, blind-and-deaf Helen Keller. The play starred Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, ran for more than 700 performances, and won a Tony Award for Best Play. The Miracle Worker was written by William Gibson, based in part on the letters of Annie Sullivan — who… Monday’s Poem: “Diagramming Won’t Help This Situation” by Kevin Brown, from Exit Lines. Monday’s Literary Notes: On this day 50 years ago (in 1959), The Miracle Worker debuted on Broadway. It’s the story of how Annie Sullivan educated the young, blind-and-deaf Helen Keller. The play starred Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, ran for more than 700 performances, and won a Tony Award for Best Play. The Miracle Worker was written by William Gibson, based in part on the letters of Annie Sullivan — who… Monday’s Poem: “Diagramming Won’t Help This Situation” by Kevin Brown, from Exit Lines. Monday’s Literary Notes: On this day 50 years ago (in 1959), The Miracle Worker debuted on Broadway. It’s the story of how Annie Sullivan educated the young, blind-and-deaf Helen Keller. The play starred Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, ran for more than 700 performances, and won a Tony Award for Best Play. The Miracle Worker was written by William Gibson, based in part on the letters of Annie Sullivan — who… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-19,25310541 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:08:21 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25305468-Oct-18-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Sunday’s Poem: :“Autumn Waiting” by Tom Hennen, from Looking into the Weather. Sunday’s Literary Notes: Today is Alaska Day, which commemorates the formal transfer of territory from Russia to the United States in 1867. It’s a legal holiday in Alaska; state employees get a paid day of vacation, children get out of school early, many businesses take the day off, and there’s a parade. There’s also a flag-raising ceremony like the one that took place on this day at Fort Sitka 142 years ago, where… Sunday’s Poem: :“Autumn Waiting” by Tom Hennen, from Looking into the Weather. Sunday’s Literary Notes: Today is Alaska Day, which commemorates the formal transfer of territory from Russia to the United States in 1867. It’s a legal holiday in Alaska; state employees get a paid day of vacation, children get out of school early, many businesses take the day off, and there’s a parade. There’s also a flag-raising ceremony like the one that took place on this day at Fort Sitka 142 years ago, where… Sunday’s Poem: :“Autumn Waiting” by Tom Hennen, from Looking into the Weather. Sunday’s Literary Notes: Today is Alaska Day, which commemorates the formal transfer of territory from Russia to the United States in 1867. It’s a legal holiday in Alaska; state employees get a paid day of vacation, children get out of school early, many businesses take the day off, and there’s a parade. There’s also a flag-raising ceremony like the one that took place on this day at Fort Sitka 142 years ago, where… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-18,25305468 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:05:48 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25300516-Oct-17-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Saturday’s Poem: “Department Store Fictions” by Jason Whitmarsh, from Tomorrow’s Living Room Saturday’s Literary Notes: The London Beer Flood occurred on this day in 1814. At 6:00 on a Monday evening, a torrent of beer came rushing through the streets of the St. Giles district of London. A 22-foot tall vat of porter on top of a brewery burst, setting off a chain reaction unleashing over a million liters of beer onto the streets. People came out onto the streets of St. Giles with mugs and… Saturday’s Poem: “Department Store Fictions” by Jason Whitmarsh, from Tomorrow’s Living Room Saturday’s Literary Notes: The London Beer Flood occurred on this day in 1814. At 6:00 on a Monday evening, a torrent of beer came rushing through the streets of the St. Giles district of London. A 22-foot tall vat of porter on top of a brewery burst, setting off a chain reaction unleashing over a million liters of beer onto the streets. People came out onto the streets of St. Giles with mugs and… Saturday’s Poem: “Department Store Fictions” by Jason Whitmarsh, from Tomorrow’s Living Room Saturday’s Literary Notes: The London Beer Flood occurred on this day in 1814. At 6:00 on a Monday evening, a torrent of beer came rushing through the streets of the St. Giles district of London. A 22-foot tall vat of porter on top of a brewery burst, setting off a chain reaction unleashing over a million liters of beer onto the streets. People came out onto the streets of St. Giles with mugs and… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-17,25300516 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:01:58 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25293874-Oct-16-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Friday’s Poem: “ancestors” by Harvey Ellis from Sleep Not Sleep. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Irish writer Oscar Wilde (1854). He toured America in advance of the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera, Patience. He went to Pennsylvania, where he drank elderberry wine with Walt Whitman. He lectured to coal miners in Leadville, Colorado, where he saw a sign on a saloon that said, “Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best,” and called it “the only rational method of art… Friday’s Poem: “ancestors” by Harvey Ellis from Sleep Not Sleep. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Irish writer Oscar Wilde (1854). He toured America in advance of the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera, Patience. He went to Pennsylvania, where he drank elderberry wine with Walt Whitman. He lectured to coal miners in Leadville, Colorado, where he saw a sign on a saloon that said, “Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best,” and called it “the only rational method of art… Friday’s Poem: “ancestors” by Harvey Ellis from Sleep Not Sleep. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Irish writer Oscar Wilde (1854). He toured America in advance of the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera, Patience. He went to Pennsylvania, where he drank elderberry wine with Walt Whitman. He lectured to coal miners in Leadville, Colorado, where he saw a sign on a saloon that said, “Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best,” and called it “the only rational method of art… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-15,25293874 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:59:21 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25287810-Oct-15-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Thursday’s Poem: “Apology” by Jason Whitmarsh, from Tomorrow’s Living Room. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, born in the Prussian village of Röcken (1844). He’s perhaps best known for claiming that “God is dead,” but most people forget that he actually said, “God is dead … and we have killed him!” He thought that the absence of God from the world was a tragedy, but he felt that people had to accept that tragedy and move on. He wrote that God was… Thursday’s Poem: “Apology” by Jason Whitmarsh, from Tomorrow’s Living Room. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, born in the Prussian village of Röcken (1844). He’s perhaps best known for claiming that “God is dead,” but most people forget that he actually said, “God is dead … and we have killed him!” He thought that the absence of God from the world was a tragedy, but he felt that people had to accept that tragedy and move on. He wrote that God was… Thursday’s Poem: “Apology” by Jason Whitmarsh, from Tomorrow’s Living Room. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, born in the Prussian village of Röcken (1844). He’s perhaps best known for claiming that “God is dead,” but most people forget that he actually said, “God is dead … and we have killed him!” He thought that the absence of God from the world was a tragedy, but he felt that people had to accept that tragedy and move on. He wrote that God was… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-15,25287810 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:47:06 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25282169-Oct-14-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Wednesday’s Poem: “i like my body” by e.e. cummings from Complete Poems 1904-1962 Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of e.e. cummings, born Edward Estlin Cummings in Cambridge, Massachusetts (1894), who wrote nearly 3,000 poems, a couple of autobiographical novels, and several essays and plays. In his verse, cummings tended to substitute verbs for nouns, he used patently eccentric punctuation, and he disregarded norms of capitalization. But despite unconventional style, he wrote… Wednesday’s Poem: “i like my body” by e.e. cummings from Complete Poems 1904-1962 Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of e.e. cummings, born Edward Estlin Cummings in Cambridge, Massachusetts (1894), who wrote nearly 3,000 poems, a couple of autobiographical novels, and several essays and plays. In his verse, cummings tended to substitute verbs for nouns, he used patently eccentric punctuation, and he disregarded norms of capitalization. But despite unconventional style, he wrote… Wednesday’s Poem: “i like my body” by e.e. cummings from Complete Poems 1904-1962 Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of e.e. cummings, born Edward Estlin Cummings in Cambridge, Massachusetts (1894), who wrote nearly 3,000 poems, a couple of autobiographical novels, and several essays and plays. In his verse, cummings tended to substitute verbs for nouns, he used patently eccentric punctuation, and he disregarded norms of capitalization. But despite unconventional style, he wrote… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-13,25282169 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:54:56 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25276812-Oct-13-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Tuesday’s Poem: “Anniversary” by Jason Whitmarsh, from Tomorrow’s Living Room. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: On this day in 1819, 23-year-old John Keats composed what’s considered to be one of the most beautiful love letters ever written. The subject of this letter was Fanny Brawne; the two had met the previous autumn at the house of mutual family friends. In the spring, he and she became next-door neighbors, saw each other all the time, and fell in love. He dashed off playful sonnets to her in the… Tuesday’s Poem: “Anniversary” by Jason Whitmarsh, from Tomorrow’s Living Room. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: On this day in 1819, 23-year-old John Keats composed what’s considered to be one of the most beautiful love letters ever written. The subject of this letter was Fanny Brawne; the two had met the previous autumn at the house of mutual family friends. In the spring, he and she became next-door neighbors, saw each other all the time, and fell in love. He dashed off playful sonnets to her in the… Tuesday’s Poem: “Anniversary” by Jason Whitmarsh, from Tomorrow’s Living Room. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: On this day in 1819, 23-year-old John Keats composed what’s considered to be one of the most beautiful love letters ever written. The subject of this letter was Fanny Brawne; the two had met the previous autumn at the house of mutual family friends. In the spring, he and she became next-door neighbors, saw each other all the time, and fell in love. He dashed off playful sonnets to her in the… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-12,25276812 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:52:25 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25271170-Oct-12-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Monday’s Poem: “Golden” by Sonia Gernes, from What You Hear in the Dark. Monday’s Literary Notes: It’s the day that the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus reached the New World. On this day in 1492, one of the sailors on the Pinta sighted land, an island in the Bahamas, after 10 weeks of sailing from Palos, Spain, with the Santa María, the Pinta, and the Niña. Columbus thought he had reached East Asia. When he sighted Cuba, he thought it was China, and when the expedition landed on… Monday’s Poem: “Golden” by Sonia Gernes, from What You Hear in the Dark. Monday’s Literary Notes: It’s the day that the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus reached the New World. On this day in 1492, one of the sailors on the Pinta sighted land, an island in the Bahamas, after 10 weeks of sailing from Palos, Spain, with the Santa María, the Pinta, and the Niña. Columbus thought he had reached East Asia. When he sighted Cuba, he thought it was China, and when the expedition landed on… Monday’s Poem: “Golden” by Sonia Gernes, from What You Hear in the Dark. Monday’s Literary Notes: It’s the day that the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus reached the New World. On this day in 1492, one of the sailors on the Pinta sighted land, an island in the Bahamas, after 10 weeks of sailing from Palos, Spain, with the Santa María, the Pinta, and the Niña. Columbus thought he had reached East Asia. When he sighted Cuba, he thought it was China, and when the expedition landed on… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-11,25271170 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:49:18 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25267048-Oct-11-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Sunday’s Poem: :”If I Gave Up” by Kelly-Anne Riess, from To End a Conversation. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1975 that Saturday Night Live had its premiere, with George Carlin as host. The first sketch had Michael O’Donoghue as an ESL teacher attempting to teach English to his Eastern European student, John Belushi. Janis Ian and Billy Preston played music, Andy Kaufman and the Muppets were special guests, and Paul Simon made an appearance. It’s also the birthday of novelist… Sunday’s Poem: :”If I Gave Up” by Kelly-Anne Riess, from To End a Conversation. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1975 that Saturday Night Live had its premiere, with George Carlin as host. The first sketch had Michael O’Donoghue as an ESL teacher attempting to teach English to his Eastern European student, John Belushi. Janis Ian and Billy Preston played music, Andy Kaufman and the Muppets were special guests, and Paul Simon made an appearance. It’s also the birthday of novelist… Sunday’s Poem: :”If I Gave Up” by Kelly-Anne Riess, from To End a Conversation. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1975 that Saturday Night Live had its premiere, with George Carlin as host. The first sketch had Michael O’Donoghue as an ESL teacher attempting to teach English to his Eastern European student, John Belushi. Janis Ian and Billy Preston played music, Andy Kaufman and the Muppets were special guests, and Paul Simon made an appearance. It’s also the birthday of novelist… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-10,25267048 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:45:39 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25262814-Oct-10-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Saturday’s Poem: “Mornings on the Farm” by Dennis Ward Stiles, from The Fire in Which We Burn. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1881 that Charles Darwin published what he considered to be his most important book: The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms. During his lifetime it sold much better than The Origin of Species, more than 6,000 copies its first year. He wrote, “Although the conclusion may appear at first startling, it will be difficult to deny the… Saturday’s Poem: “Mornings on the Farm” by Dennis Ward Stiles, from The Fire in Which We Burn. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1881 that Charles Darwin published what he considered to be his most important book: The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms. During his lifetime it sold much better than The Origin of Species, more than 6,000 copies its first year. He wrote, “Although the conclusion may appear at first startling, it will be difficult to deny the… Saturday’s Poem: “Mornings on the Farm” by Dennis Ward Stiles, from The Fire in Which We Burn. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1881 that Charles Darwin published what he considered to be his most important book: The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms. During his lifetime it sold much better than The Origin of Species, more than 6,000 copies its first year. He wrote, “Although the conclusion may appear at first startling, it will be difficult to deny the… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-10,25262814 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:32:23 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25257378-Oct-09-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Friday’s Poem: “Six Days on the Road” by Ann Campanella from Young and Ripe. Friday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1872 that the first mail-order catalog was delivered. It was sent out by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and it was just one page long, listing 162 items. By the mid-1880s, the catalog was more than 200 pages long and sold 10,000 items, allowing people in rural areas to get their hands on anything that city people could buy — jewelry, furniture, musical instruments, books, clothes,… Friday’s Poem: “Six Days on the Road” by Ann Campanella from Young and Ripe. Friday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1872 that the first mail-order catalog was delivered. It was sent out by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and it was just one page long, listing 162 items. By the mid-1880s, the catalog was more than 200 pages long and sold 10,000 items, allowing people in rural areas to get their hands on anything that city people could buy — jewelry, furniture, musical instruments, books, clothes,… Friday’s Poem: “Six Days on the Road” by Ann Campanella from Young and Ripe. Friday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1872 that the first mail-order catalog was delivered. It was sent out by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and it was just one page long, listing 162 items. By the mid-1880s, the catalog was more than 200 pages long and sold 10,000 items, allowing people in rural areas to get their hands on anything that city people could buy — jewelry, furniture, musical instruments, books, clothes,… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-08,25257378 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:39:02 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25251730-Oct-08-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Thursday’s Poem: “Erasures” by Sharon Bryan, from Sharp Stars. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of comic book writer Harvey Pekar, born in Cleveland, Ohio (1939). He went to college, dropped out, tried to join the Army and failed, and ended up as a file clerk for the VA hospital in Cleveland, a job he held for almost 40 years.his friend and neighbor Robert Crumb, a comic book artist, suggested that Pekar write about the ins and outs of his daily life. He did, and Crumb illustrated… Thursday’s Poem: “Erasures” by Sharon Bryan, from Sharp Stars. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of comic book writer Harvey Pekar, born in Cleveland, Ohio (1939). He went to college, dropped out, tried to join the Army and failed, and ended up as a file clerk for the VA hospital in Cleveland, a job he held for almost 40 years.his friend and neighbor Robert Crumb, a comic book artist, suggested that Pekar write about the ins and outs of his daily life. He did, and Crumb illustrated… Thursday’s Poem: “Erasures” by Sharon Bryan, from Sharp Stars. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of comic book writer Harvey Pekar, born in Cleveland, Ohio (1939). He went to college, dropped out, tried to join the Army and failed, and ended up as a file clerk for the VA hospital in Cleveland, a job he held for almost 40 years.his friend and neighbor Robert Crumb, a comic book artist, suggested that Pekar write about the ins and outs of his daily life. He did, and Crumb illustrated… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-08,25251730 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:27:13 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25246086-Oct-07-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Wednesday’s Poem: “Amor Fati” by Katha Pollitt from The Mind-Body Problem. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1955 that Allen Ginsberg read his poem “Howl” at the Six Gallery in San Francisco. The poet Kenneth Rexroth organized the reading, and in preparation, he introduced Gary Snyder to Allen Ginsberg. Ginsberg introduced everyone to Jack Kerouac, and they became the core of the group of writers known as the Beats… Wednesday’s Poem: “Amor Fati” by Katha Pollitt from The Mind-Body Problem. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1955 that Allen Ginsberg read his poem “Howl” at the Six Gallery in San Francisco. The poet Kenneth Rexroth organized the reading, and in preparation, he introduced Gary Snyder to Allen Ginsberg. Ginsberg introduced everyone to Jack Kerouac, and they became the core of the group of writers known as the Beats… Wednesday’s Poem: “Amor Fati” by Katha Pollitt from The Mind-Body Problem. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1955 that Allen Ginsberg read his poem “Howl” at the Six Gallery in San Francisco. The poet Kenneth Rexroth organized the reading, and in preparation, he introduced Gary Snyder to Allen Ginsberg. Ginsberg introduced everyone to Jack Kerouac, and they became the core of the group of writers known as the Beats… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-07,25246086 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:25:23 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25239823-Oct-06-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Tuesday’s Poem: “Two Cats” by Katha Pallitt, from The Mind-Body Problem. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1847 that Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre was published (some sources say October 16). The public reception was divided. William Thackeray, who wrote Vanity Fair, called it “the masterwork of a great genius.” But not everyone liked the novel. Many reviewers were shocked at the possibility that a woman could write it. They thought Jane was too independent, too coarse, and too… Tuesday’s Poem: “Two Cats” by Katha Pallitt, from The Mind-Body Problem. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1847 that Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre was published (some sources say October 16). The public reception was divided. William Thackeray, who wrote Vanity Fair, called it “the masterwork of a great genius.” But not everyone liked the novel. Many reviewers were shocked at the possibility that a woman could write it. They thought Jane was too independent, too coarse, and too… Tuesday’s Poem: “Two Cats” by Katha Pallitt, from The Mind-Body Problem. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1847 that Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre was published (some sources say October 16). The public reception was divided. William Thackeray, who wrote Vanity Fair, called it “the masterwork of a great genius.” But not everyone liked the novel. Many reviewers were shocked at the possibility that a woman could write it. They thought Jane was too independent, too coarse, and too… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-05,25239823 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:28:23 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25233542-Oct-05-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Monday’s Poem: “Jubilee” by Gabrielle Calvocoressi, from Apocalyptic Swing. Monday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of philosopher and writer Denis Diderot, born on this day in Langres, France (1713). He was a prominent thinker during the French Enlightenment and good friends with Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Diderot was the main editor and visionary behind the Encyclopédie, a book meant to supplant the Bible as the source of knowledge. As Diderot himself wrote, “All things must be examined,… Monday’s Poem: “Jubilee” by Gabrielle Calvocoressi, from Apocalyptic Swing. Monday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of philosopher and writer Denis Diderot, born on this day in Langres, France (1713). He was a prominent thinker during the French Enlightenment and good friends with Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Diderot was the main editor and visionary behind the Encyclopédie, a book meant to supplant the Bible as the source of knowledge. As Diderot himself wrote, “All things must be examined,… Monday’s Poem: “Jubilee” by Gabrielle Calvocoressi, from Apocalyptic Swing. Monday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of philosopher and writer Denis Diderot, born on this day in Langres, France (1713). He was a prominent thinker during the French Enlightenment and good friends with Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Diderot was the main editor and visionary behind the Encyclopédie, a book meant to supplant the Bible as the source of knowledge. As Diderot himself wrote, “All things must be examined,… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-04,25233542 Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:24:54 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25229452-Oct-04-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Sunday’s Poem: : : “Water Table” by Billy Collins, from The Art of Drowning. Sunday’s Literary Notes:It’s the birthday of humorist Roy Blount Jr., born in Indianapolis (1941) but raised in the South in a “sort of a suburb of Atlanta” named Decatur, Georgia. He once said, “Language seems to me intrinsically comic — noises of the tongue, lips, larynx, and palate rendered in ink on paper with the deepest and airiest thoughts in mind and the harshest and tenderest feelings at heart.”.. Sunday’s Poem: : : “Water Table” by Billy Collins, from The Art of Drowning. Sunday’s Literary Notes:It’s the birthday of humorist Roy Blount Jr., born in Indianapolis (1941) but raised in the South in a “sort of a suburb of Atlanta” named Decatur, Georgia. He once said, “Language seems to me intrinsically comic — noises of the tongue, lips, larynx, and palate rendered in ink on paper with the deepest and airiest thoughts in mind and the harshest and tenderest feelings at heart.”.. Sunday’s Poem: : : “Water Table” by Billy Collins, from The Art of Drowning. Sunday’s Literary Notes:It’s the birthday of humorist Roy Blount Jr., born in Indianapolis (1941) but raised in the South in a “sort of a suburb of Atlanta” named Decatur, Georgia. He once said, “Language seems to me intrinsically comic — noises of the tongue, lips, larynx, and palate rendered in ink on paper with the deepest and airiest thoughts in mind and the harshest and tenderest feelings at heart.”.. tag:odeo.com,2009-10-03,25229452 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:22:05 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25226533-Oct-03-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Saturday’s Poem: “Harvest” by Louise Glück from A Village Life. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of historian and statesman George Bancroft, born in Worcester, Massachusetts (1800), who lived to be 90 years old and said, “By common consent gray hairs are a crown of glory; the only object of respect that can never excite envy.”.. Saturday’s Poem: “Harvest” by Louise Glück from A Village Life. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of historian and statesman George Bancroft, born in Worcester, Massachusetts (1800), who lived to be 90 years old and said, “By common consent gray hairs are a crown of glory; the only object of respect that can never excite envy.”.. Saturday’s Poem: “Harvest” by Louise Glück from A Village Life. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of historian and statesman George Bancroft, born in Worcester, Massachusetts (1800), who lived to be 90 years old and said, “By common consent gray hairs are a crown of glory; the only object of respect that can never excite envy.”.. tag:odeo.com,2009-10-03,25226533 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 05:20:12 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25219819-Oct-02-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Friday’s Poem: “‘i carry your heart with me (i carry it in’” by e.e. cummings, from Complete Poems 1904-62. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Graham Greene, born in Hertfordshire, England (1904), the author of such novels as The Power and the Glory (1940), The Heart of the Matter (1948), The End of the Affair (1951), The Quiet American (1955), and Our Man in Havana (1958). Once, a magazine held a contest encouraging readers to submit their best parodies of Graham Greene’s writing… Friday’s Poem: “‘i carry your heart with me (i carry it in’” by e.e. cummings, from Complete Poems 1904-62. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Graham Greene, born in Hertfordshire, England (1904), the author of such novels as The Power and the Glory (1940), The Heart of the Matter (1948), The End of the Affair (1951), The Quiet American (1955), and Our Man in Havana (1958). Once, a magazine held a contest encouraging readers to submit their best parodies of Graham Greene’s writing… Friday’s Poem: “‘i carry your heart with me (i carry it in’” by e.e. cummings, from Complete Poems 1904-62. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of Graham Greene, born in Hertfordshire, England (1904), the author of such novels as The Power and the Glory (1940), The Heart of the Matter (1948), The End of the Affair (1951), The Quiet American (1955), and Our Man in Havana (1958). Once, a magazine held a contest encouraging readers to submit their best parodies of Graham Greene’s writing… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-02,25219819 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:13:42 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25214980-Oct-01-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Thursday’s Poem: “the way it works” by Charles Bukowski, from What Matters Most Is How Well You Walk Through the Fire. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, born in Plains, Georgia (1924). He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He said, “A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It is a weak nation, like a weak person, that… Thursday’s Poem: “the way it works” by Charles Bukowski, from What Matters Most Is How Well You Walk Through the Fire. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, born in Plains, Georgia (1924). He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He said, “A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It is a weak nation, like a weak person, that… Thursday’s Poem: “the way it works” by Charles Bukowski, from What Matters Most Is How Well You Walk Through the Fire. Thursday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, born in Plains, Georgia (1924). He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He said, “A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It is a weak nation, like a weak person, that… tag:odeo.com,2009-10-01,25214980 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:15:28 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25210265-Sep-30-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Wednesday’s Poem: “Walking at Night” by Louise Glück from A Village Life. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: Today is the 28th birthday of Irish novelist Cecelia Ahern, born in Dublin (1981). She wrote the international best-seller P.S. I Love You (2004) when she was only 21 years old, using pen and paper, writing it in cheap notebooks known as “A4 refill pads” that are found in nearly every UK and Ireland drug store. Then, with a publishing deal and film rights, she became an overnight millionaire at… Wednesday’s Poem: “Walking at Night” by Louise Glück from A Village Life. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: Today is the 28th birthday of Irish novelist Cecelia Ahern, born in Dublin (1981). She wrote the international best-seller P.S. I Love You (2004) when she was only 21 years old, using pen and paper, writing it in cheap notebooks known as “A4 refill pads” that are found in nearly every UK and Ireland drug store. Then, with a publishing deal and film rights, she became an overnight millionaire at… Wednesday’s Poem: “Walking at Night” by Louise Glück from A Village Life. Wednesday’s Literary Notes: Today is the 28th birthday of Irish novelist Cecelia Ahern, born in Dublin (1981). She wrote the international best-seller P.S. I Love You (2004) when she was only 21 years old, using pen and paper, writing it in cheap notebooks known as “A4 refill pads” that are found in nearly every UK and Ireland drug store. Then, with a publishing deal and film rights, she became an overnight millionaire at… tag:odeo.com,2009-09-30,25210265 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:14:03 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25204625-Sep-29-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Tuesday’s Poem: “Stadium Traffic” by Daniel Donaghy, from Start with the Trouble. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s what’s believed to be the birthday of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, widely considered the first modern novel. The two volumes that constitute Don Quixote were actually published a decade apart. Before Cervantes finished part two, a man writing under the pseudonym Fernández de Avellaneda published an unauthorized continuation of Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Cervantes… Tuesday’s Poem: “Stadium Traffic” by Daniel Donaghy, from Start with the Trouble. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s what’s believed to be the birthday of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, widely considered the first modern novel. The two volumes that constitute Don Quixote were actually published a decade apart. Before Cervantes finished part two, a man writing under the pseudonym Fernández de Avellaneda published an unauthorized continuation of Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Cervantes… Tuesday’s Poem: “Stadium Traffic” by Daniel Donaghy, from Start with the Trouble. Tuesday’s Literary Notes: It’s what’s believed to be the birthday of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, widely considered the first modern novel. The two volumes that constitute Don Quixote were actually published a decade apart. Before Cervantes finished part two, a man writing under the pseudonym Fernández de Avellaneda published an unauthorized continuation of Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Cervantes… tag:odeo.com,2009-09-29,25204625 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:08:39 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25198042-Sep-28-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Monday’s Poem: “How It Will End” by Denise Duhamel. Monday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1978 that Pope John Paul I died just 33 days into his papacy, marking the shortest papal reign in the history of the Catholic Church. In August 1978, he was elected at the papal conclave on the fourth ballot. He was warm and friendly, he laughed in public, he was a good speaker, and he smiled a lot. In Italy, he became known as the Smiling Pope (“Il Papa del Sorriso”). But his popular papacy ended… Monday’s Poem: “How It Will End” by Denise Duhamel. Monday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1978 that Pope John Paul I died just 33 days into his papacy, marking the shortest papal reign in the history of the Catholic Church. In August 1978, he was elected at the papal conclave on the fourth ballot. He was warm and friendly, he laughed in public, he was a good speaker, and he smiled a lot. In Italy, he became known as the Smiling Pope (“Il Papa del Sorriso”). But his popular papacy ended… Monday’s Poem: “How It Will End” by Denise Duhamel. Monday’s Literary Notes: It was on this day in 1978 that Pope John Paul I died just 33 days into his papacy, marking the shortest papal reign in the history of the Catholic Church. In August 1978, he was elected at the papal conclave on the fourth ballot. He was warm and friendly, he laughed in public, he was a good speaker, and he smiled a lot. In Italy, he became known as the Smiling Pope (“Il Papa del Sorriso”). But his popular papacy ended… tag:odeo.com,2009-09-28,25198042 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:10:04 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25193993-Sep-27-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Sunday’s Poem: : “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats, from Collected Poems. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of poet Kay Ryan, born in San Jose, California (1945). She’s the current U.S. poet laureate and the author of the poetry collections Strangely Marked Metal (1985), Elephant Rocks (1996), Say Uncle (2000) and The Niagara River (2005). Kay started to write poetry at age 19, but did not decide to devote her life to it until ten years later while on a cross-country bicycle… Sunday’s Poem: : “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats, from Collected Poems. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of poet Kay Ryan, born in San Jose, California (1945). She’s the current U.S. poet laureate and the author of the poetry collections Strangely Marked Metal (1985), Elephant Rocks (1996), Say Uncle (2000) and The Niagara River (2005). Kay started to write poetry at age 19, but did not decide to devote her life to it until ten years later while on a cross-country bicycle… Sunday’s Poem: : “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats, from Collected Poems. Sunday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of poet Kay Ryan, born in San Jose, California (1945). She’s the current U.S. poet laureate and the author of the poetry collections Strangely Marked Metal (1985), Elephant Rocks (1996), Say Uncle (2000) and The Niagara River (2005). Kay started to write poetry at age 19, but did not decide to devote her life to it until ten years later while on a cross-country bicycle… tag:odeo.com,2009-09-27,25193993 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:08:45 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25187687-Sep-26-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Saturday’s Poem: “Sound of the Night Train”, by Pat Schneider from Another River. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of T.S. Eliot, born in St. Louis, Missouri (1888). His poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is one of the most anthologized poems in the English language. Its title came from a combination of a Rudyard Kipling poem with the name of a local furniture store which Eliot did not remember at the time of his writing… Saturday’s Poem: “Sound of the Night Train”, by Pat Schneider from Another River. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of T.S. Eliot, born in St. Louis, Missouri (1888). His poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is one of the most anthologized poems in the English language. Its title came from a combination of a Rudyard Kipling poem with the name of a local furniture store which Eliot did not remember at the time of his writing… Saturday’s Poem: “Sound of the Night Train”, by Pat Schneider from Another River. Saturday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of T.S. Eliot, born in St. Louis, Missouri (1888). His poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is one of the most anthologized poems in the English language. Its title came from a combination of a Rudyard Kipling poem with the name of a local furniture store which Eliot did not remember at the time of his writing… tag:odeo.com,2009-09-25,25187687 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:05:59 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed http://odeo.com/episodes/25182248-Sep-25-2009-The-Writer-s-Almanac Friday’s Poem: “Once in a While” by Mark Perlby, from waiting for the Alchemist. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of William Faulkner, in New Albany, Mississippi. When he was 24, he went north when a friend got him a job at the Doubleday bookstore in New York. At first, Faulkner was a good salesman, but pretty soon he started telling his customers not to read the “trash” they wanted to buy. He wrote his novels by hand on large sheets of paper, and then typed them out with two fingers… Friday’s Poem: “Once in a While” by Mark Perlby, from waiting for the Alchemist. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of William Faulkner, in New Albany, Mississippi. When he was 24, he went north when a friend got him a job at the Doubleday bookstore in New York. At first, Faulkner was a good salesman, but pretty soon he started telling his customers not to read the “trash” they wanted to buy. He wrote his novels by hand on large sheets of paper, and then typed them out with two fingers… Friday’s Poem: “Once in a While” by Mark Perlby, from waiting for the Alchemist. Friday’s Literary Notes: It’s the birthday of William Faulkner, in New Albany, Mississippi. When he was 24, he went north when a friend got him a job at the Doubleday bookstore in New York. At first, Faulkner was a good salesman, but pretty soon he started telling his customers not to read the “trash” they wanted to buy. He wrote his novels by hand on large sheets of paper, and then typed them out with two fingers… tag:odeo.com,2009-09-25,25182248 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:04:32 -0700 no APM: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac Podcast feed