… of Carol Channing. Broadway’s Dolly Gallagher Levi is 85.
… of Norman Mailer. He’s 83. Here’s what NewMexiKen posted before on Mailer’s birthday.
… of Jean Simmons. The actress (The Robe, Spartacus, Elmer Gantry) is 77. Miss Simmons was twice nominated for an Oscar; Hamlet (supporting) and The Happy Ending (leading).
… of Ernie Banks. The baseball hall-of-famer is 74. Let’s play two.
… of composer Philip Glass. He’s 69.
As is, Suzanne Pleshette, Emily on the ”The Bob Newhart Show” and Annie (the teacher) in The Birds.
… of Nolan Ryan. The baseball hall-of-famer is 58.
Minnie Driver is 35. Justin Timberlake is 25.
Thomas Merton was born on this date in 1915. Here’s a previous entry for Merton.
And Pearl Zane Grey, the first American millionaire author, was born on this date in 1872. Here’s a previous entry on Grey.
Thomas Merton’s writings changed my life, for the better I think. He had feet of clay on various points, or at least left a few muddy footprints, but his writings have been a regular menu item on my spiritual writing buffet for about 25 years. He never wrote for more than two hours a day, yet it sure did add up after a while. And most of what he wrote still speaks to our political/cultural/economic situation and give encouragement about how to respond. Still timely after over 35 years.