James Patterson, on reading:

Reading is not work, not a chore, not a drudgery;
reading is the most joyful thing, yet, in the world.

- James Patterson.

Annie Proulx, on reading and writing:

You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page.

Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.

- Annie Proulx.

On this day in music history - Disconnect, by Helen Jane Long (2022):

Disconnect

Album by Helen Jane Long,

released December 22, 2022.

Track list:

At Your Feet; Sakura (the cherry blossom); Turn It Around; Invisible; Disconnect; The Last Performance; Intersection; Explosions; Stillness; Get By; Outrun; You.

On this day in music history - A Streetcar Named Desire, by Renée Fleming ... (1998):

A Streetcar Named Desire

Album by Renée Fleming, Elizabeth Futral, Rodney Gilfry, Anthony Dean Griffey, San Francisco Opera and André Previn,

released December 22, 1998.

Track list:

Act One, Scene 1: They Told Me To Take A Streetcar Named Desire - Renee Fleming / Judith Forst; Act One, Scene 1: Blanche! / Stella! Oh Stella! - Elizabeth Futral / Renee Fleming; Act One, Scene 1: I Can Hardly Stand It - Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 1: You Left! I Stayed And I Struggled! - Renee Fleming / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 1: I... I... I...Took The Blows On My Face - Renee Fleming / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 1: Hey Mitch! Come Back Here - Rodney Gilfry / Mathew Lord / Anthony Dean Griffey / Judith Forst; Act One, Scene 1: You Must Be Stanley. I’m Blanche - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 2: Hiyah, Sweetheart - Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 2: Let Me Enlighten You On A Point Or Two - Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 2: Hello Stanley. Do You Mind? - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 2: Here! There Are Thousands Of Papers - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 3: Well, I Ought To Be Getting Home - Anthony Dean Griffey / Rodney Gilfry / Mathew Lord / Elizabeth Futral / Renee Fleming; Act One, Scene 3: Yes? Oh, Hello - Renee Fleming / Anthony Dean Griffey / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral / Mathew Lord; Act One, Scene 3: Stella! / Stanely, That’s My... What Are You Doing - Renee Fleming / Elizabeth Futral / Rodney Gilfry / Mathew Lord / Anthony Dean Griffey / Judith Forst; Act One, Scene 3: Hmmm...  / Stella? Stella? - Elizabeth Futral / Renee Fleming; Act Two, Prologue - Orch Of The San Francisco Oper / Andre Previn; Act Two, Scene 1: Say, Blanche... Do You Happen To know - Rodney Gilfry / Renee Fleming / Elizabeth Futral; Act Two, Scene 1: Soft People Have Got To Shimmer And Glow - Renee Fleming; Act Two, Scene 1: Ah Me... Ah Me... Come In - Renee Fleming / Jeffrey Lentz; Act Two, Scene 1: Don’t You Love These Rainy Afternoons? - Renee Fleming / Jeffrey Lentz; Act Two, Scene 1: What’s The Time? Come On, Mitch - Renee Fleming; Act Two, Scene 2: Fraid You Didn’t Have Much Fun - Renee Fleming / Anthony Dean Griffey; Act Two, Scene 2: I Work Out With The Weights - Anthony Dean Griffey / Renee Fleming; Act Two, Scene 2: Blanche... How Old Are You? - Anthony Dean Griffey / Renee Fleming; Act Two, Scene 2: I’m Not A Boy, She Says - Anthony Dean Griffey; Act Two, Scene 2: He Was A Boy When I Was A Very Young Girl - Renee Fleming / Anthony Dean Griffey; Act Three: Prologue - Orch Of The San Francisco Oper / Andre Previn; Act Three, Scene 1: (Humming) / What’s All This For? - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 1: You Should Just Know The Line - Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral / Renee Fleming; Act Three, Scene 1: What Time Is It? - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 1: Stanley, Tell Us A Joke - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 1: ‘Stell, It’s Gonna Be All Right - Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 1: Yes... Don’t Light These Pretty, Pretty Little Candles - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 1: Me And You When We First Met - Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 2: Who Is It, Please? - Renee Fleming / Anthony Dean Griffey; Act Three, Scene 2: It’s Dark In Here - Anthony Dean Griffey / Renee Fleming; Act Three, Scene 2: Real! Who Wants Real? - Renee Fleming / Anthony Dean Griffey; Act Three, Scene 2: I Don’t Mind Your Being Older - Anthony Dean Griffey / Renee Fleming / Josepha Gayer; Act Three, Scene 3: How About Taking A Swim - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry; Act Three, Scene 3: Take A Look At Yourself - Rodney Gilfry / Renee Fleming; Act Three, Scene 3: Operator, Operator, Give Me Long Distance - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry; Act Three, Scene 3: Interlude - Orch Of The San Francisco Opera / Andre Previn; Act Three, Scene 4: Damn Your Luck - Mathew Lord / Rodney Gilfry / Anthony Dean Griffey / Judith Forst / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 4: I’ll Wear The Cool Yellow Silk - Renee Fleming / Elizabeth Futral / Judith Forst / Rodney Gilfry; Act Three, Scene 4: I Can Smell The Sea Air - Renee Fleming; Act Three, Scene 4: That Must Be Them - Judith Forst / Rodney Gilfry / Renee Fleming / Elizabeth Futral / Lynne Soffer / Anthony Dean Griffey...; Act Three, Scene 4: These Fingernails Need To Be Trimmed - Lynne Soffer / Ray Reinhardt / Renee Fleming.

On this day in movie history - Grumpier Old Men (1995):

Grumpier Old Men

directed by Howard Deutch,

written by Mark Steven Johnson,

was released in the United States on December 22, 1995.
Music by Alan Silvestri.

Cast:

Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Sophia Loren, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, Katie Sagona, Ann Morgan Guilbert, James Andelin, Marcus Klemp, Max Wright, Cheryl Hawker, Wayne A. Evenson, Allison Levine, John Patrick Martin, Adam Ward, Ryan Waldoch, James Cada, Jaclyn Ross, Kyle Christopherson, Jeffrey L. Smith, Geraldo Rivera, Warren Schueneman, Jack Mitsch, Sterling Robson, Gregory Schuneman, Denny Schusted, Michelle Johnston, Wallace Olson, Carl Johnson, Eugene Karels, Lawrence Grivna, Joel Edwards, Larissa Lowthorp, Johnny Luckett, Tammara Melloy, Shirley Stoler, Ryan Wotherspoon.

On this day in movie history - Always (1989):

Always

directed by Steven Spielberg,

written by Jerry Belson and Diane Thomas,

was released in the United States on December 22, 1989.
Based on the movie A Guy Named Joe (1943), directed by Victor Fleming and John E. Burch.
Music by John Williams.

Cast:

Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, Brad Johnson, John Goodman, Audrey Hepburn, Roberts Blossom, Keith David, Ed Van Nuys, Marg Helgenberger, Dale Dye, Brian Haley, James Lashly, Michael Steve Jones, Kim Robillard, Jim Sparkman, Doug McGrath, Shereil L. Bowens, Ascension Fuentes, Todd Jacobson, DeMarious T. Morganfield, Mike O'Neal, Larry Landless, Steve Shatnyski, James Pruitt, Joseph McCrossin, JD Souther, David Jackson, David Kitay, Gene Strimling, Roy E. Harrison, Ted Grossman, Gerry Rothschild, Loren Smothers, Taleena Ottwell, Dan Aykroyd, Michael Braveheart, Jim Dunkin, Douglas 'Hurricane' Hall, Tim Hiser, Jaclyn Nagata, Joseph Michael Roth.

On this day in television history - Space 1999 (1975):

Space 1999

Season 1. Episode 16.

Episode entitled: Another Time, Another Place.

Released December 22, 1975.

Directed by David Tomblin.

Written by Johnny Byrne.

Series created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson.

Music by Barry Gray.

Cast:

Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Barry Morse, Prentis Hancock, Clifton Jones, Zienia Merton, Anton Phillips, Alan Carter, Judy Geeson, Tony Allyn, Emily Bolton, Loftus Burton, Andy Dempsey, Alan Harris, Barbara Kelly, Claire McLellan, Robert Phillips, Quentin Pierre, Alan Roberto, Suzanne Roquette, Michael Stevens.