“No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.”
Tag Archives: books
September 2022 Literary Calendar
Events in the month of September for writers and readers
- Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month
- Library Card Sign Up Month
- National Literacy Month
- Read a New Book Month (also December)
- September 4 – Richard Wright’s Birthday; Newspaper Carrier Day
- September 6 – Read a Book Day
- September 8 – International Literacy Day
- September 18 – Read an E-book Day
- September 18-24 – National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week
- September 21 – Stephen King’s Birthday
- September 22 – Hobbit Day
- September 22 – Dear Diary Day
- September 24 – National Punctuation Day
- September 24 – F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Birthday
- September 25 – National Comic Book Day
- September 25-October 1 – Banned Books Week
- September 29 – Miguel de Cervantes’ Birthday; National Coffee Day in the U.S.
- September 30 – Truman Capote’s Birthday
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Retro Quote – Susan Sontag
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Word of the Week – June 11, 2022
Eudaemonism
[yoo-DEE-mə-niz-əm]
Noun
Greek, early 19th century
A system of ethics that bases moral value on the likelihood of actions producing happiness.
“Eudaemonism” entered English in the 19th century from the Greek “εὐδαιμονία,” meaning happiness, with the suffix “-ism” to indicate a system of belief or practice. “Eudaemonism” is based on the Greek term “eudaemonia,” introduced by Aristotle. Aristotle’s “eudaemonia” described the positive condition of doing and living well. It was not, in fact, a synonym for happiness, but rather it described a greater state of positive existence, which combined wisdom, contemplation, virtue, and other beneficial attributes for personal success.
Example: Through all the anxiety and drama, I detected a true sense of eudaemonism in viewing the opening session of the January 6 Committee hearings.
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June 2022 Literary Calendar
Events in the month of June for writers and readers
Audiobook Appreciation Month
GLBT Book Month
- June 1 – Global Day of Parents; Global Running Day; National Pen Pal Day; National Say Something Nice Day; World Reef Awareness Day
- June 3 – National Egg Day
- June 4 – National Cheese Day; National Hug Your Cat Day
- June 5 – National Cancer Survivor’s Day; National Donut Day; National Gingerbread Day; World Environment Day
- June 8 – National Best Friend’s Day; World Oceans Day
- June 10 – Ball Point Pen Day
- June 11 – Global Wellness Day
- June 12 – Anne Frank’s Birthday
- June 14 – Bourbon Day; World Blood Donor Day
- June 15 – National Photography Day; World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
- June 16 – Bloomsday (celebration of Irish writer James Joyce’s life); National Fudge Day
- June 17 – World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
- June 19 – Father’s Day (U.S.)
- June 20 – World Refugee Day
- June 21 – Summer Solstice (Northern Hemisphere); Winter Solstice (Southern Hemisphere)
- June 22 – Octavia Butler’s Birthday; World Rainforest Day
- June 23 – National Hydration Day; Typewriter patent awarded (1868)
- June 25 – Eric Carle’s Birthday
- June 27 – Helen Keller’s Birthday; National PTSD Awareness Day
- June 29 – Hug Holiday; National Camera Day
- June 30 – National Handshake Day; National Work from Home Day; World Social Media Day
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Word of the Week – April 30, 2022
Pervicacity
[per-vi-KA-si-tee]
Noun
Latin, 17th century
The quality or state of being pervicacious. Obstinacy; stubbornness; willfulness; from the Latin “pervicacitas,” meaning obstinacy.
Example: My individual pervicacity compels me to write, no matter my circumstances.
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Best Quotes of the Week – April 30, 2022
“When billionaires talk about freedom, watch your wallets. Behind Elon Musk’s blather about free markets, free speech, and free choice is his goal to be free from accountability.”
Robert Reich, regarding Elon Musk’s recent takeover of Twitter
Reich went on to say: “The “free market” increasingly reflects the demands of big money. Unfriendly takeovers, such as Musk threatens to mount at Twitter, weren’t part of the “free market” until the late 1970s and early 1980s. Before then, laws and regulations constrained them. Then came corporate raiders like Carl Icahn and Michael Milken. Their MO was to find corporations whose assets were worth more than their stock value, borrow against them, acquire enough shares to force them to cut costs (such as laying off workers, abandoning their communities, busting unions, and taking on crushing debt), and cash in. But the raiders’ antics often imposed huge social costs. They pushed America from stakeholder capitalism (where workers and communities had a say in what corporations did) to shareholder capitalism (where the sole corporate goal is to maximize shareholder value). Inequality skyrocketed, insecurity soared, vast swaths of America were abandoned, and millions of good jobs vanished.”
“In the end, if Jimmy and Susie are curious about any of the above, they can do what everyone else does – get a room at the Motel Six and grab the Gideons.”
Chaz Stevens, a Florida resident who has asked the state to remove the Christian Bible from schools and public libraries because its content is inappropriate for children
He took issue with the many Biblical references to rape, bestiality, cannibalism and infanticide and proceeded to question whether the Bible is age-appropriate, pointing to its “casual” references to murder, adultery, sexual immorality, and fornication. “Do we really want to teach our youth about drunken orgies?”
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May 2022 Literary Calendar
Events in the month of May for writers and readers
- May 1 – Loyalty Day
- May 1 – Save the Rhino Day
- May 2 – Brothers and Sisters Day
- May 3 – Garden Meditation Day
- May 3 – Lumpy Rug Day
- May 4 – National Candied Orange Peel Day
- May 6 – Space Day
- May 7 – National Babysitters Day
- May 7 – National Train Day
- May 8 – Mother’s Day (U.S.)
- May 9 – Lost Sock Memorial Day
- May 11 – Twilight Zone Day
- May 13 – Blame Someone Else Day
- May 13 – Frog Jumping Day
- May 13 – Leprechaun Day
- May 14 – National Windmill Day
- May 15 – National Chocolate Chip Day
- May 16 – Love a Tree Day
- May 16 – National Sea Monkey Day
- May 23 – Lucky Penny Day
- May 24 – International Tiara Day
- May 25 – National Towel Day (UK)
- May 27 – Don’t Fry Friday
- May 27 – Memorial Day (U.S.)
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April 2022 Literary Calendar
Events in the month of April for writers and readers
D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) Month
National Poetry Month
School Library Month
- 1 – Reading is Funny Day
- 2 – International Children’s Book Day
- 2 – National Children’s Picture Book Day
- 2 – Hans Christian Anderson’s birthday
- 3-9 – National Library Week
- 4 – National School Librarian Day
- 4 – Maya Angelou’s birthday
- 5 – National Library Worker’s Day
- 6 – National Library Outreach Day (formerly National Bookmobile Day)
- 7 – Take Action for Libraries Day
- 9 – National Unicorn Day
- 12 – Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day
- 12 – Beverly Cleary’s birthday
- 13 – Scrabble Day
- 14 – Celebrate Teen Literature Day
- 15 – Rubber Eraser Day
- 15 – World Art Day
- 16 – National Librarian Day
- 17 – International Haiku Poetry Day
- 18 – Newspaper Columnists Day
- 23 – William Shakespeare’s birthday
- 23 – World Book and Copyright Day
- 23 – World Book Night
- 24 – U.S. Congress approved the Library of Congress
- 27 – National Tell A Story Day
- 28 – Harper Lee’s birthday
- 28 – Great Poetry Reading Day
- 30 – Independent Bookstore Day
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March 2022 Literary Calendar
Events in the month of March for writers and readers:
- National Reading Month
- Small Press Month
- March 2 Read Across America Day | Dr. Seuss’s birthday
- March 3 World Book Day in the UK and Ireland
- March 4 National Grammar Day
- March 6-12 Read an E-book Week | Return Borrowed Books Week
- March 16 Freedom of Information Day
- March 20 World Storytelling Day
- March 21 World Poetry Day
- March 26 Robert Frost’s birthday
- March 30 Pencil Day
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Chief Writing Wolf 