Birthdays: Phyllis McGinley (1905), Margaret Mahy (1936), David Wisniewski (1953), Teresa Nielsen Hayden (1956), Lauren Kate (1981),

Phyllis McGinley won the 1960 Pulitzer for Poetry.

David Wisniewski won the 1997 Caldecott for “Golem”

Quote: “I majored in creative writing in college, and went on to get a master’s degree in fiction—but I don’t think those things are necessary to being a good writer. Practice, curiosity, voracious reading, and diligence are more important than any degree.” – Lauren Kate

Jumpstart: You have to create a newsletter for a writer’s group. What would you include? What would it look like? What about a newsletter for your readers?