Alan Kent Haruf (1943–2014) was an American writer born and raised in Colorado. He wrote six novels and several short stories set on the High Plains. As a young man Haruf enrolled in the Peace Corps in lieu of military service before receiving a master's degree from the University of Iowa. He initially struggled to establish a career as a writer. Haruf spent years teaching English at a high school and at universities. His writing was first published in 1984 when he was 41. Commercial success eluded him until the publication of Plainsong in 1999, which became a bestseller. Throughout Haruf's career, critics praised his spare and elegant prose, authentic portrayals of rural life, and attention to the beauty found in ordinary things, although he was occasionally criticized for redundancy. A Colorado magazine, 5280, wrote that Haruf is "widely considered Colorado's finest novelist", and the Dublin Review of Books called his work "both uniquely American and profoundly universal". (Full article...).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Haruf> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1809: Napoleonic Wars: The British invasion of Martinique ended with the unconditional surrender of French admiral Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse, beginning a five-year occupation of the island. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Martinique_%281809%29> 1979: Uganda–Tanzania War: Ugandan government forces fled Masaka as the Tanzania People's Defence Force bombarded and captured the town. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Masaka> 1989: United Airlines Flight 811 experienced uncontrolled decompression after leaving Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii, blowing seats out of the aircraft and killing nine passengers. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_811> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: beset: 1. (transitive) Senses relating to surrounding. 2. To assail or attack (someone) from all sides; to set about. 3. To occupy and block (an entrance, a passage, etc.), especially to prevent people from passing. 4. (chiefly passive voice) To decorate (someone or something) by surrounding with accessories, etc. 5. (archaic) Followed by with: to encircle or surround (someone or something); to hem in. 6. (nautical, chiefly passive voice) To trap (a ship) within frozen sea; to ice in. 7. (figurative) Of dangers, difficulties, enemies, etc.: to negatively affect (someone or something); to trouble. 8. (often military, archaic) Of soldiers, etc.: to surround (a place) to compel surrender; to besiege. 9. (obsolete) To capture (an animal); to ensnare, to entrap. [...] 10. About Word of the Day 11. Nominate a word 12. Leave feedback <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beset> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: They fought together as brothers in arms; they died together and now they sleep side by side ...To them, we have a solemn obligation — the obligation to ensure that their sacrifice will help make this a better and safer world in which to live. --Chester W. Nimitz <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Chester_W._Nimitz> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
