National Flag Day and "The Star - Spangled Banner"

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14th to commemorate the adoption of the flag of the United States of America on June 14, 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. This is also the day the United States Army celebrates its birthday. 

On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key penned a poem which was later set to music and in 1931 became America's national anthem, "The Star - Spangled Banner." The poem originally titled, "The Defence of Fort M'Henry," was written after Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded by the British during the war of 1812. The sight of those "broad stripes and bright stars" inspired thousands. If you've never heard the story before, try the video below. 

Have you ever heard this story before? Do you know the words to this poem/song? Can you think of any other piece of writing that has influenced thousands?

IWSG: Impactful Books

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

JUNE 4 QUESTION - 
What were some books that impacted you as a child or young adult?

MY ANSWER - There are so many! In high school: To Kill a Mockingbird - this book filled my senses and made me examine the type of person and parent I one day hoped to be. It's also one of the few movie adaptions that didn't disappoint after reading the original story. Flowers for Algernon is another one that stayed with me as I had previously no experience with the mentally handicapped. Just as the previous book, it reminded me to respect and treat others kindly no matter the differences. Tuesdays With Morrie is a wonderful reminder to cherish loved ones and prioritize appropriately because you never know how much time you have. There are also a number of series that took up much of my time. Anne of Green Gables was a wonderful reminder that it was acceptable to read and enjoy classic literature as much as contemporary. Alongside Little Women it made me believe writing was an acceptable pastime as well. I also spent a lot of time with the Sweet Dreams romance series (I think there were over 200), the Nancy Drew Files (I believe there were over 100), Fear Street (I think there were around 50 in the 1990s - there are more now), and the Christopher Pike series. While I certainly read many other enjoyable books, these series took up many hours of my teen life in the 1990s.

Sweet Dreams Book Series

Nancy Drew Files Series by Carolyn Keene | Goodreads

Fear Street - Book Series In Order

Christopher Pike - Book Series In Order

What about you? What were some books that impacted you as a child or young adult?

National Audiobook Month

June is National Audiobook Month, when hundreds of retailers encourage people to give listening to books a try. These businesses run various promotions and discounts to get more listeners interested in the format.

The Audiobook Publishers Association has spearheaded audiobook month for a number of years. Audible, Kobo audiobooks, Google Play Books, Storytel, Scribd, Audiobooks.com, and dozens of others offer audiobooks. 

Did you know you could access complete audiobooks for FREE on YouTube?

To learn more about the history of this celebration check out: National Audiobook Month 2024

Have you tried an audiobook? Which are your favorites? When do you listen to them?