Events on January 25, 2007:

Author Birthdays: Maugham, Naylor & Woolf

Today is the birthday of W. Somerset Maugham (1874). While his novel Of Human Bondage is considered to be his masterpiece, Maugham is equally famed as a short story writer of caustic wit. He once observed: "To write simply is as difficult as to be good."

Today is also the birthday of Gloria Naylor (1955), the African-American novelist known for her strong depictions of black women. Her novels include The Women of Brewster Place, Mama Day (a blending of William Shakespeares The Tempest with black folklore), and Bailey's Cafe.

Today is also the birthday of Virginia Woolf (1882). One of the chief figures of Modernism, Woolf gained acclaim as a formalist writer. Her style, E.M. Forster commented, "pushed the light of the English language a little further against darkness". Woolf wrote over 25 books including novels, essay collections, and biographies. Of her novels, Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse, are standouts.