1
Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea was published in Life Magazine
Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea was published in Life Magazine. The magazine sold five million copies in only two days and launched Hemingway to new levels of celebrity. Two years later it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. (September 01, 1952)
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2
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Allen Drury was born in Houston, Texas
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Allen Drury was born in Houston, Texas. Drury is best known for his political novel, Advise and Consent, published in 1959. (September 02, 1918)
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3
Legendary actor Peter O’Toole returned to the stage after a 17 year absence from the theater in the cursed role of Macbeth
Legendary actor Peter O’Toole returned to the stage after a 17 year absence from the theater in the cursed role of Macbeth. O’Toole was apparently spooked by the legendary curse of the Scottish play and refused to let anyone in the cast use it by its name. The production suffered from blunders and bad luck, and O’Toole’s performance was universally panned by critics, with some calling it “gruesome” and “heroically ludicrous.” Nonetheless, the play still had a successful run and theater-goers attended without fail. (September 03, 1980)
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4
American author Richard Wright was born in Roxie, Mississippi
American author Richard Wright was born in Roxie, Mississippi. Wright’s works, especially his most significant novels, Native Son and Black Boy, exposed the plight of modern African-Americans and influenced race relations in the Civil Rights era. (September 04, 1908)
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5
Scottish poet Robert Fergusson was born Edinburgh
Scottish poet Robert Fergusson was born Edinburgh. Fergusson excelled in writing poetry in the Scottish dialect, but he suffered from severe depression. After sustaining a head injury he was committed to a mental hospital, where he died at the young age of 24. His short life had a larger impact on Scottish readers, as well as on Robert Burns, who used his style of poetry to influence his own, becoming the most famous Scottish poet of all time. (September 05, 1750)
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6
The Great Fire of London finally burned out, resulting in a devastating loss to 70,000 of the city’s 80,000 homes
The Great Fire of London finally burned out, resulting in a devastating loss to 70,000 of the city’s 80,000 homes. Famous diarist Samuel Pepys recorded some of the fire’s devastation in his diary: “So down \[I went\], with my heart full of trouble, to the Lieutenant of the Tower, who tells me that it began this morning in the King’s baker’s house in Pudding Lane, and that it hath burned St. Magnus’s Church and most part of Fish Street already. So I rode down to the waterside, . . . and there saw a lamentable fire. . . . Everybody endeavouring to remove their goods, and flinging into the river or bringing them into lighters that lay off; poor people staying in their houses as long as till the very fire touched them, and then running into boats, or clambering from one pair of stairs by the waterside to another. And among other things, the poor pigeons, I perceive, were loth to leave their houses, but hovered about the windows and balconies, till they some of them burned their wings and fell down.” The Diary of Samuel Pepys (September 06, 1666)
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7
Rapper Tupac Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas
Rapper Tupac Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. He died in the hospital six days later. Although he died at only 25 years old, Tupac’s legacy is powerful in the world of hip hop, race relations, and poetry. Tupac’s words have heavily influenced current methods of teaching poetry to teenagers, and were heavily discussed in the themes of Angie Thomas’ novel, The Hate U Give. (September 07, 1996)
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8
Playwright and novelist Michael Frayn was born in Middlesex, England
Playwright and novelist Michael Frayn was born in Middlesex, England. Frayn’s plays (Noises Off and Democracy) and novels (Headlong and The Tin Men) have been universally successful, making Frayn one of the writers who has found commercial success in writing both drama and prose. (September 08, 1933)
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9
American poet Sonia Sanchez was born in Birmingham, Alabama
American poet Sonia Sanchez was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Sanchez emerged as a leading black voice in the Civil Rights movement and was highly influenced by Malcolm X. Her poetry, which has won her the Robert Frost Award, is highly musical and contains influences of Langston Hughes and the blues. (September 09, 1934)
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10
Author and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft died of septicemia in London, 11 days after giving birth to her daughter, Mary Godwin Wollstonecraft (later Mary Shelley)
Author and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft died of septicemia in London, 11 days after giving birth to her daughter, Mary Godwin Wollstonecraft (later Mary Shelley). Her husband, philosopher and author William Godwin, was devastated by her loss. He said, “I firmly believe there does not exist her equal in the world. I know from experience we were formed to make each other happy. I have not the least expectation that I can now ever know happiness again.” As the feminist movement grew, Wollstonecraft’s writings, particularly her book A Vindication of the Rights of Women, grew increasingly influential. (September 10, 1797)
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11
Thousands of Americans died in the World Trade Center attacks, permanently affecting American culture for the first decade of the 2000s
Thousands of Americans died in the World Trade Center attacks, permanently affecting American culture for the first decade of the 2000s. The experience touched every American, and something like that has a ripple effect into every aspect of life, including literature. Several literary works have emerged that discuss 9/11, including: (September 11, 2001)
English poet and novelist D
English poet and novelist D. H. Lawrence was born in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire. (September 11, 1885)
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12
Poet Elizabeth Barrett eloped with poet Robert Browning because her father wouldn’t approve of her marriage in London
Poet Elizabeth Barrett eloped with poet Robert Browning because her father wouldn’t approve of her marriage in London. The two honeymooned in Paris and then moved to Italy. They remained loyal to each other until Barrett Browning’s death in 1861. (September 12, 1846)
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13
Roald Dahl was born in Wales
Roald Dahl was born in Wales. Dahl rose to fame for his delightful and engaging children’s works, including James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and Matilda. Dahl passed away in 1990. In 2006 the UK designated September 13 National Roald Dahl Day, celebrating the national author’s impact on children’s literature. The whole month is filled with Dahl-themed events and activities, including a dress up day for children in schools. Happy Roald Dahl Day! (September 13, 1916)
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14
Francis Scott Key, a lawyer, witnessed the British attack on Fort McHenry in Maryland
Francis Scott Key, a lawyer, witnessed the British attack on Fort McHenry in Maryland. To his surprise, the Fort withstood the day-long attack, and Key was inspired to see a hand-sewn American flag flying over the fort afterwards. He began drafting a poem about the event, which eventually became known as the “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” The poem was printed in handbills and newspapers, including the Baltimore Patriot. The poem was later set to the tune of a drinking song, “To Anacreon in Heaven,” and came to be called “The Star-Spangled Banner.” (September 14, 1814)
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15
Mystery novelist Agatha Christie was born in Devon, England
Mystery novelist Agatha Christie was born in Devon, England. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time, having sold over 2 billion books, and being third in all time sales behind the Bible and Shakespeare. She is also the writer of The Mousetrap, the longest continuous-running play of all time, which has been showing in London’s West End since 1952. (September 15, 1890)
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16
James Alan McPherson, fiction writer and memoirist, was born in Iowa City, Iowa
James Alan McPherson, fiction writer and memoirist, was born in Iowa City, Iowa. In 1978 he became the first African American recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, for his collection of short stories, Elbow Room. (September 16, 1943)
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17
The first selection of Oprah’s Book Club, Jacquelyn Mitchard’s The Deep End of the Ocean, was announced
The first selection of Oprah’s Book Club, Jacquelyn Mitchard’s The Deep End of the Ocean, was announced. During the show’s run, Oprah’s Book Club selected 70 titles to be a part of the book club. Books bearing the “Oprah’s Book Club” seal are reported to have sold over 55 million copies. Some of her selected works of fiction include Middlesex by David Eugenides, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and Love in the Time of Cholera. (September 17, 1996)
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18
British author Aldous Huxley, best known as the writer of Brave New World, was hired at Eton to teach French
British author Aldous Huxley, best known as the writer of Brave New World, was hired at Eton to teach French. One of his students was Eric Blair, who would later become famous under his pen name, George Orwell. (September 18, 1917)
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19
Hermione Granger turns 39 today! Hermione is beloved by fans for intelligence, loyalty, and almost overwhelming desire to do the right thing, not to mention her brilliant portrayal by the elegant [Emma Watson](https://www
Hermione Granger turns 39 today! Hermione is beloved by fans for intelligence, loyalty, and almost overwhelming desire to do the right thing, not to mention her brilliant portrayal by the elegant [Emma Watson](https://www.instagram.com/emmawatson/) Don’t forget to don your S.P.E.W. pins in honor of Ms. Granger today! (September 19, 2018)
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20
George R
George R. R. Martin, author of the best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series, was born in Bayonne, New Jersey. After the sudden death of good friend and fellow writer Tom Reamy in 1977, Martin decided to quit his teaching job and become a full time writer. In 1982 his novel Fevre Dream became a modest success, launching his career as a novelist. Today he can be found writing for the series Game of Thrones, as avid readers impatiently await his return to the novels rather than writing for the show. (September 20, 1948)
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21
“King of Horror” Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine
“King of Horror” Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine. King is a prolific American author, having penned almost 60 novels and over 200 short stories. Many of his works have been turned into blockbuster movies. Among his works, his memoir On Writing is frequently used for instruction in creative writing courses. (September 21, 1947)
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22
Author and playwright Ben Jonson was indicted on the charge of manslaughter for killing fellow actor, Gabriel Spenser, in a duel
Author and playwright Ben Jonson was indicted on the charge of manslaughter for killing fellow actor, Gabriel Spenser, in a duel. He was saved from hanging for his ability to read a bible verse. He was branded on his thumb and imprisoned for a short time, where he converted to Catholicism. Jonson’s career was largely unaffected from the crime and sentencing, as he was a successful playwright in his lifetime, being on the same level of fame as his contemporary, William Shakespeare. (September 22, 1598)
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23
Chilean poet Pablo Neruda died in the hospital after suffering from prostate cancer
Chilean poet Pablo Neruda died in the hospital after suffering from prostate cancer. Only two years earlier, Neruda had been awarded the Nobel Prize, however, his diagnosis and political involvement made life increasingly hard to live. He was reported to have called his wife from the hospital only hours before he died. He complained that “they were giving him something that didn’t feel good,” and rumors circulated later that he may not have died of natural causes. To this day, an investigation into Neruda’s death is ongoing, as it was recently discovered that he actually died of a staph infection, which could have possibly been given through an injection from someone who wanted him dead. (September 23, 1973)
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24
Francis Scott Fitzgerald was born in St
Francis Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, MN. Born to an upper middle class family, Fitzgerald moved to New York with his family and eventually studied at Princeton. He and his fabulous wife, Zelda, became celebrities and frequently socialized with other writers, including Ernest Hemingway. The Fitzgeralds were volatile, due to Zelda’s mental health issues (she was later hospitalized with schizophrenia) and Scott’s excessive drinking habits. He died at the age of 44 from heart failure in Hollywood, California. (September 24, 1896)
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25
William Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi
William Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi. Faulkner wrote throughout his lifetime, but didn’t become widely known until he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949. His novels The Sound and the Fury, Light in August and As I Lay Dying are among the top works of American writers. Furthermore, his short story “A Rose For Emily” is one of the most widely taught short stories today. (September 25, 1897)
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26
Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in St
Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1914 Eliot studied in Oxford, which began a lifelong preferral to life in England. In 1927, Eliot became a British citizen and converted to Anglicanism. T.S. Eliot remains a leading voice in poetry, with his works from The Waste Land and “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” still being widely taught today. (September 26, 1888)
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27
Rachel Carson, a marine biologist, published her findings on the detrimental effects of synthetic pesticides on the environment in her book Silent Spring
Rachel Carson, a marine biologist, published her findings on the detrimental effects of synthetic pesticides on the environment in her book Silent Spring. Carson and her team of scientists expected serious backlash from the American public for the book’s claims, but instead it was widely supported by scientists alike and became serialized. The book’s publication led to a rise in environmentalism, as well as the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency under Richard Nixon. Both the Modern Library List and the National Review name Silent Spring as one of the best works of nonfiction from the 20th century. (September 27, 1962)
George Aiken’s play based on Harriett Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin premiered in Troy, New York
George Aiken’s play based on Harriett Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin premiered in Troy, New York. (September 27, 1852)
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28
Italian author Grazia Maria Cosima Damiana Deledda was born in Sardinia
Italian author Grazia Maria Cosima Damiana Deledda was born in Sardinia. Her accomplishments in writing prose and drama led to her receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1926. Her works are often set in her island town of Sardinia, and she is remembered for her realistic but optimistic portrayal of women’s suffering. (September 28, 1871)
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29
Lawrence Olivier’s Hamlet, which he directed and played the titular role, opened at Park Avenue Cinema
Lawrence Olivier’s Hamlet, which he directed and played the titular role, opened at Park Avenue Cinema. Although the production was not without its criticisms, it exposed modern theater-goers to Shakespeare, and was recognized enough that it became the first British film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. James Agee of TIME magazine said in his review, “A man who can do what Laurence Olivier is doing for Shakespeare is certainly among the more valuable men of his time.” (September 29, 1948)
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30
Author Truman Capote was born in New Orleans, Louisiana
Author Truman Capote was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Capote first emerged to renown with his publication of short stories. Shortly after the publication of his first novel, he shot to superstardom for his novella, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, featuring Holly Golightly, one of the most beloved and enduring characters of literature. After that, Capote reached new levels of brilliance with his publication of In Cold Blood, a new form of true crime which Capote dubbed the “nonfiction novel.” After that, Capote moved from novel writing to living the life of the rich and famous, which included heavy alcohol and drug use. He died at the age of 59 due to his substance abuse. He is best remembered for his impacts on both fiction and nonfiction writing, as well as his impacts on the gay rights movement. Capote lived his life as an openly gay man, and though he never became actively or politically involved in the gay rights movement, his unapologetic way of life gave hope and inspiration to many nonetheless. (September 30, 1924)
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