Birthdays: Marcus Aurelius (121 AD), John James Audubon (1785), Anita Loos (1889), Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889), Vincent Alexandre (1898), A.E. van Vogt (1912), Bernard Malamud (1914), Patricia Reilly Giff (1935), Marilyn Nelson (1946), Natasha Trethewey (1966), Lisa Unger (1970)

Vincent Alexandre won the 1977 Nobel Prize for Literature

Patricia Giff is a two-time winner of a Newbery Honor

Natasha Trethewey won the 2007 Pulitzer for Poetry and was the US Poet Laureate in 2012

Quote: “A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.” ― John James Audubon

“First drafts are for learning what your novel or story is about.” – Bernard Malamud

Tip: Similar to the previous day, when used as a name, Mom and Dad are capitalized (I love you, Mom). When used as a designation, they are not: (She’s my mom).

Jumpstart: You are a newly adopted puppy or kitten. What is your new home like? How do you feel? What is your new family like? Write this scene from the new pet’s point of view.