Born on this day – Martin Landau:

Martin Landau

Actor

Producer

Cartoonist

June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017

Born on this day – Lilian Jackson Braun:

Lilian Jackson Braun

Writer

June 20, 1913 – June 4, 2011

Credits:

Books:

Beastly Tales (1989); Detective Duos (1997); Great Tales of Crime and Detection (1995); Magicats II (1991); Midnight Louie's Pet Detectives (1998); More Mystery Cats (1993); Mystery Cats (1989); Mystery Cats III (1995); Pussy Tales (2019); Senior Sleuths (1996); Short & Tall Tales / aka Qwilleran's Short and Tall Tales (2002); Sisters in Crime 3 (1990); Tar Heel Dead (2005); The Best of Sisters in Crime (1997); The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern (1967); The Cat Who Blew the Whistle (1995); The Cat Who Brought Down The House (2003); The Cat Who Came to Breakfast (1994); The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (1966); The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell (2006); The Cat Who Had 14 Tales (1988); The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers (2007); The Cat Who Knew A Cardinal (1991); The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare (1988); The Cat Who Lived High (1990); The Cat Who Moved A Mountain (1992); The Cat Who Played Brahms (1987); The Cat Who Played Post Office (1987); The Cat Who Robbed A Bank (2000); The Cat Who Said Cheese (1996); The Cat Who Sang for the Birds (1998); The Cat Who Saw Red (1986); The Cat Who Saw Stars (1998); The Cat Who Smelled A Rat (2000); The Cat Who Sniffed Glue (1988); The Cat Who Tailed A Thief (1997); The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts (1990); The Cat Who Talked Turkey (2004); The Cat Who Turned on and Off (1968); The Cat Who Wasn't There (1992); The Cat Who Went Bananas (2004); The Cat Who Went Into the Closet (1993); The Cat Who Went Underground (1989); The Cat Who Went Up The Creek (2002); The Private Life of the Cat Who... (2003).

Born on this day – Gail Patrick:

Gail Patrick

Actress

Producer

June 20, 1911 – July 6, 1980

Credits:

A Dream Comes True (1935); Artist and Models (1937); Bicentennial Minutes (1975); Brewster's Millions (1945); Calendar Girl (1947); Claudia and David (1946); Cool and Lam (1958); Cradle Song (1933); Dangerous to Know (1938); Death Takes a Holiday (1934); Disbarred (1939); Doubting Thomas (1935); Early to Bed (1936); Gallant Sons (1940); Gambling Ship (1933); Grand Jury Secrets (1939); Hit Parade of 1943 (1943); If I Had a Million (1932); John Meade's Woman (1937); Kathleen (1941); King of Alcatraz (1938); King of the Wild Horses (1947); Land of Liberty (1939); Love Crazy (1941); Mad About Music (1938); Mama Loves Papa (1933); Man of Conquest (1939); Meet the Stars #3: Variety Reel #1 (1941); Meet the Stars #6: Stars at Play (1941); Mississippi (1935); Murder at the Vanities (1934); Murder with Pictures (1936); Murders in the Zoo (1933); My Favorite Wife (1940); My Man Godfrey (1936); No More Ladies (1935); One Hour Late (1934); Perry Mason (1957–1966); Pick-up (1933); Picture People No. 2: Hollywood Sports (1941); Plainsman and the Lady (1946); Quiet Please: Murder (1942); Rendezvous with Annie (1946); Reno (1939); Rumba (1935); Screen Actors (1950); Screen Snapshots Series 15, No. 12 (1936); Screen Snapshots Series 19, No 6: Hollywood Recreations (1940); Screen Snapshots Series 19, No. 7: Wardrobe Designers (1940); Smart Girl (1935); Soaring Stars (1942); Stage Door (1937); Svengoolie (2016); Take the Stand (1934); Tales of Manhattan (1942); The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935); The Big Parade of Comedy (1964); The Crime of Helen Stanley (1934); The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940); The Fashion Side of Hollywood (1935); The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939); The Inside Story (1948); The Lone Wolf Returns (1935); The Madonna's Secret (1946); The Merv Griffin Show (1972); The Mike Douglas Show (1970); The Mysterious Rider (1933); The New Perry Mason (1973–1974); The Phantom Broadcast (1933); The Preview Murder Mystery (1936); Threesome (2019); To the Last Man (1933); Twice Blessed (1945); Two Fisted (1935); Two in the Dark (1936); Unusual Occupations (1947); Up in Mabel's Room (1944); Voices in the Labyrinth (2019); Wagon Wheels (1934 / 1953); Wanderer of the Wasteland (1935); We Were Dancing (1942); White Hunter (1936); Wives Under Suspicion (1938); Women in Bondage (1943).

Julia Alvarez, on writing:

For me, the writing life doesn't just happen when I sit at the writing desk.

It is a life lived with a centering principle, and mine is this:

that I will pay close attention to this world I find myself in.

'My heart keeps open house,' was the way the poet Theodore Roethke put it in a poem.

And rendering in language what one sees through the opened windows and doors of that house

is a way of bearing witness to the mystery of what it is to be alive in this world.

– Julia Alvarez.

Recommended reading: Eaters of the Dead, by Michael Crichton (1976):

Eaters of the Dead

Full title:

Eaters of the Dead: The Manuscript of Ibn Fadlan Relating His Experiences with the Northmen in AD 922

By Michael Crichton.

Filmed as The 13th Warrior (1999), directed by John McTiernan.

Mass Market Paperback.
Published by Harper.
First published 1976.
ISBN 13: 9780061782633
ISBN 10: 0061782637
ASIN: 0061782637

Description:

The year is A.D. 922.  A refined Arab courtier, representative of the powerful Caliph of Baghdad, encounters a party of Viking warriors who are journeying to the barbaric North. He is appalled by their Viking customs — the wanton sexuality of their pale, angular women, their disregard for cleanliness . . . their cold-blooded human sacrifices. But it is not until they reach the depths of the Northland that the courtier learns the horrifying and inescapable truth: He has been enlisted by these savage, inscrutable warriors to help combat a terror that plagues them — a monstrosity that emerges under cover of night to slaughter the Vikings and devour their flesh . . .

On this day in astronomy history - Northern Lights Aurora borealis:

The view of the Northern Lights Aurora borealis, from our home on Friday, May 10, 2024.
I’ve always loved astronomy and I wish I had more time to dedicate to it.
It was great to experience this rare natural event with my wife.

On this day in music history - I'm Outta Love, by Anastacia (2000):

I’m Outta Love

Song by Anastacia.
Released February 29, 2000.

Lyrics:

Now, baby, come on
Don't claim that love you never let me feel
I should have known
'Cause you brought nothing real
Come on, be a man about it, you won't die
I ain't got no more tears to cry
And I can't take this no more
You know I gotta let it go
And you know
I'm outta love, set me free
And let me out this misery
Just show me the way to get my life again
'Cause you can't handle me
Said I'm outta love, can't you see
Baby, that you gotta set me free?
I'm outta love
Yeah
Said how many times
Have I tried to turn this love around?
But every time you just let me down
Come on, be a man about it, you'll survive
True that you can work it out all right
Tell me, yesterday did you know
I'd be the one to let you go?
And you know
I'm outta love, set me free (set me free)
And let me out this misery (Oh, let me out this misery)
Show me the way to live my life again
You can't handle me
I'm outta love, can't you see
Baby, that you gotta set me free
I'm outta
Let me get over you
The way you've gotten over me too, yeah
Seems like my time has come
And now I'm moving on
I'll be stronger
I'm outta love, set me free (set me free)
And let me out this misery
Show me the way to live my life again
You can't handle me (no, no)
Said I'm outta love, set me free
And let me out this misery
Show me the way to get my life again
You can't handle me
Said I'm outta love, can't you see (can't you see?)
Baby, that you gotta set me free?
I'm outta love
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
I'm outta love, set me free (no, no, no)
And let me out this misery (out this misery)
Just show me the way to get my life again
'Cause you can't handle me (no, no)
Said I'm outta love, set me free
And let me out this misery

Included on the album Not That Kind (2000).