Birthdays: Juliet Ward Howe (1819), Arnold Bennett (1867), Louis-Ferdinand Céline (1894), Dashiell Hammett (1894), Rachel Carson (1907), John Cheever (1912), Herman Wouk (1915), Tony Hillerman (1925), Marijane Meaker (1927), John Barth (1930), Harlan Ellison (1934), Edmund Morris (1940), Anthony Pagden (1945), Lisbeth Zwerger (1954), Sharon Bolton (1960), Heston Blumenthal (1966)

Dashiell Hammett is best known for his Sam Spade character as well as Nick and Nora Charles (and their dog Asta)

Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” helped advance the environmental movement.

Herman Wouk won the 1952 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for “The Caine Mutiny”.

Harlan Ellison has won multiple Hugos, Nebulas, and Edgars for his speculative fiction.

Edmund Morris won the 1980 Pulitzer for Biography of Theodore Roosevelt

Quote: “It is a curious situation that the sea, from which life first arose should now be threatened by the activities of one form of that life. But the sea, though changed in a sinister way, will continue to exist; the threat is rather to life itself.” ― Rachel Carson, The Sea Around Us

“A writer is like a bag lady going through life with a sack and a pointed stick collecting stuff.” – Tony Hillerman

Tip: If the big picture of writing an entire book overwhelms you, break it down into smaller bites. Once scene, one chapter, even just one paragraph. Break it down to what you can handle.

Jumpstart: You’re to be substitute host on a late night talk show. Who would your guests be? What would you do for your special segment? What music or musicians would you have on?