Ursula K. Le Guin, on books and reading:

 

As you read a book word by word and page by page, you participate in its creation, just as a cellist playing a Bach suite participates, note by note, in the creation, the coming-to-be, the existence, of the music.

And, as you read and re-read, the book of course participates in the creation of you, your thoughts and feelings, the size and temper of your soul.

– Ursula K. Le Guin.

Born on this day – Polly Holliday:

Polly Holliday

Actress

July 2, 1937 – September 9, 2025

Credits:

A Loss of Innocence (1996); A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story (1991); Alice (1976–1980); All the President's Men (1976); All the Way Home (1981); Amazing Stories (1986); American Playhouse (1982); American Tongues (1988); Bernice Bobs Her Hair (1976); Dinah! (1979); Distance (1975); Fair Game (2010); Flo (1980–1981); Gremlins (1984); Home Improvement (1993–1999); Homicide: Life on the Street (1996); It Must Be Love (2004); Konrad (1985); Lots of Luck (1985); Match Game (1977); Match Game PM (1978); Missing Children: A Mother's Story (1982); Moon Over Parador (1988); Mr. Wrong (1996); Mrs. Doubtfire (1993); NBC Special Treat (1976); Private Benjamin (1982–1983); Search for Tomorrow (1974); Stick It (2006); Stir Crazy (1985); The $10,000 Pyramid (1977); The 30th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1978); The 31st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1979); The 44th Annual Tony Awards (1990); The American Parade (1974); The Catamount Killing (1974); The Client (1995–1996); The Equalizer (1988); The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story (1983); The Golden Girls (1986); The Heartbreak Kid (2007); The Jim Nabors Show (1978); The John Davidson Show (1980); The Mike Douglas Show (1977–1980); The One and Only (1978); The Parent Trap (1998); The Silence (1975); The Toni Tennille Show (1981); The Very Very Best of the 70s (2019); TV's 50 Funniest Catch Phrases (2009); W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975); Wedding Band (1974); You Can't Take It with You (1979).

Born on this day – Alfred Sole:

 

Alfred Sole

Director

Writer

Producer

Production designer

July 2, 1943 – February 14, 2022

Credits:

Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1989); Alice, Sweet Alice / aka Holy Terror and Communion (1976); Bodily Harm (1995); Castle (2009–2016); Castle: Your Home Is Your Castle (2013); Cheeseball Presents (1984); Clubland (1999); Darkness Before Dawn (1993); Deep Sleep (1972); Divided by Hate (1997); Every Woman's Dream (1996); Face of Evil (1996); First Communion: Alfred Sole Remembers Alice, Sweet Alice (2019); Friday the 13th: The Series (1988); Glory Daze (1995); Gotta Kick It Up! (2002); Halloweentown (1998); Halloweentown High (2004); Hatching Pete (2009); Horse Sense (1999); Hotel (1988); Hounded (2001); In the Blink of an Eye (1996); Johnny Tsunami (1999); L.A. Johns (1997); Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story (1995); Lone (2011); MacGyver (2017–2019); Melrose Place (2009); Miracle in Lane 2 (2000); Moonlight (2007–2008); Natural Selection (1994); Night of the Running Man (1995); One Minute Soap Opera (2003); Pandemonium (1982); Replacing Dad (1999); Right on Track (2003); S. Darko (2009); Satan's Playground (2006); Secret Witness (1988); Semper Fi (2001); Shattered Image (1994); Slammed (2004); Somebody's Daughter (1992); Tanya's Island (1980); The Ballad of Deep Sleep (2022); The Con (1998); The Poof Point (2001); The Rialto Report (2015); These Old Broads (2001); Treacherous Crossing (1992); Trial by Media (2000); Under Siege (1986); Unforgivable (1996); Veronica Mars (2004–2007); When the Cradle Falls (1997); When You Believe: Music from 'the Prince of Egypt' (1998); Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey: When You Believe (Alternate Version) (1998); Widow's Kiss (1996); Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (1999).

Born on this day – Ron Silver:

Ron Silver

Actor

Director

Producer

July 2, 1946 – March 15, 2009

Credits:

16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2010); A Father's Revenge (1988); A Secret Promise (2011); A Woman of Independent Means (1995); Ali (2001); Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story (1995); American Experience (1999); American Playhouse (1984); American Tragedy (2000); Baker's Dozen (1982); Best Friends (1982); Betrayal (1978); Big Eddie (1975); Billionaire Boys Club (1987); Black and White (1999); Blind Side (1993); Blue Steel (1990); Broken Promises: The United Nations at 60 (2005); Call It Fiction (2006); CBS Mornings (1990); Chain Reaction (1980); Charlie Rose (2000); Chicago Hope (1996–1997); Cineficción Radio (2021); Crossing Jordan (2007); Cutaway (2000); Danger Zone (1996); Deadly Outbreak (1995); Dear Detective (1979); Eat and Run (1986); Enemies, A Love Story (1989); Entertainment Tonight (1991); Exposure (2001); Fahrenhype 9/11 (2004); Festival in Cannes (2001); Find Me Guilty (2006); For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots (2010); Forgotten Prisoners: The Amnesty Files (1990); Garbo Talks (1984); Girl 6 (1996); Hardball with Chris Matthews (2005); Having Babies (1978); HBO First Look (2001); Heat Vision and Jack (1999); Here's Boomer (1980); Hill Street Blues (1983); In the Company of Spies (1999); Jack (2004); Kane & Abel (1985); Kissinger and Nixon (1995); Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1995–1996); Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1988); Law & Order (2004–2007); Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2006); Lifepod (1993); Live Wire (1992); Live with Kelly and Mark (1990); Love Is Strange (1999); Lovesick (1983); Loyalty & Betrayal: The Story of the American Mob (1994); Married to It (1991); Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story (2002); McMillan & Wife (1975); Moving Image Salutes Steven Spielberg (1994); Mr. Saturday Night (1992); Murder at the Mardi Gras (1978); New York: A Documentary Film (1999); Night of 100 Stars III (1990); Oh, God! You Devil (1984); On the Record w/ Brit Hume (2004); PoliWood (2009); Pop Culture Beast's Halloween Horror Picks (2015); Ratz (2000); Real Time with Bill Maher (2004); Red Mercury (2005); Reversal of Fortune (1990); Rhapsody in Bloom (1998); Rhoda (1975–1978); Romancing the Stone (1984); Screen Two (1990); Semi-Tough (1977); Shadow Zone: The Undead Express (1996); Silent Rage (1982); Silkwood (1983); Skeletons (1997); Skin (2003–2005); Strictly Courtroom (2008); The 17th Annual CableACE Awards (1995); The 40th Annual Tony Awards (1986); The 42nd Annual Tony Awards (1988); The 44th Annual Tony Awards (1990); The 46th Annual Tony Awards (1992); The 47th Annual Tony Awards (1993); The 48th Annual Golden Globe Awards 1991 (1991); The 50th Annual Tony Awards (1996); The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards (2009); The 63rd Annual Academy Awards (1991); The 82nd Annual Academy Awards (2010); The Arrival (1996); The Arsenio Hall Show (1989); The Beneficiary (1997); The Dennis Miller Show (1992); The Entity (1982); The Good Policeman (1993); The Goodbye People (1984); The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (1994 / 2003); The Mac Davis Show (1976); The Making of 'Ali' (2001); The Practice (2001); The Return of the World's Greatest Detective (1976); The Rockford Files (1976); The Stockard Channing Show (1980); The Ten (2007); The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1990–1991); The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992); The West Wing (2001–2006); The White Raven (1998); The Wisher (2002); Timecop (1994); Trapped in Silence (1986); Trying Times (1987); Tunnel Vision (1976); Veronica's Closet (1998–1999); Welcome to L.A. (1976); When Billie Beat Bobby (2001); Who Is Henry Jaglom? (1995); Wiseguy (1988–1989); Word of Honor (1981); Xenophobia (2008).

Born on this day – Jenni Rivera:

Jenni Rivera

Singer

Songwriter

Actress

Businesswoman

Producer

July 2, 1969 – December 9, 2012

Credits:

Albums:

Adiós... A Selena (1995); Déjate Amar (2001); Homenaje a Las Grandes (2003); Jenni (2008); Joyas Prestadas: Banda (2011); Joyas Prestadas: Pop (2011); La Gran Señora (2009); La Maestra (1993); Mi Vida Loca (2007); Misión Cumplida (2023); Parrandera, Rebelde y Atrevida (2005); Poco A Poco (1994); Por Un Amor (1994); Que Me Entierren Con la Banda (2000); Reyna de Reynas (1999); Se las Voy a Dar a Otro (2001); Si Quieres Verme Llorar (1999); Somos Rivera (1992).

Movies and television:

18th Annual American Society of Young Musicians benefit concert & awards (2010); 2006 Billboard Latin Music Awards (2006); 2009 Alma Awards (2009); A Year in the Life (2020); Addicto de Salsa (2009); Al otro lado (2005); Amazon Music: Edén Muñoz (2022); Artists for Haiti: Somos el mundo 25 por Haiti (2010); Billboard Mexican Music Awards (2011); Chiquis & Raq-C (2010); Chiquis 'n Control (2012); Cotorreando (2007); Décadas (2010); Diosas gruperas (2007); Don Cheto - Ganga Style (2012); Don Francisco presenta (2005); Eva Luna (2010); Filly Brown (2012); I Love Jenni (2011–2013); Jenni Rivera - La Diva De La Banda (2013); Jenni Rivera & Mariachi Los Reyes: Engañémoslo (2020); Jenni Rivera Live Nokia Theater (2020); Jenni Rivera: Aparentemente bien (Versión Banda) (2019); Jenni Rivera: Mariposa de Barrio (2017); Jenni Rivera: Qué Me Vas A Dar (2005); La dinastía de Los Pérez (1994); La Voz... México (2011); P.O.V. (2006); Pa'lante con Cristina (2004–2005); Pedro Infante vive (2007); Premio lo Nuestro a la música Latina 2011 (2011); Rica Famosa Latina (2014); Rock Dinner (2009); Rock n' Gol (2010); Teletón (2010); The 11th Annual Latin Grammy Awards (2010); The 27th Annual Imagen Awards (2012); The 55th Annual Grammy Awards (2013); The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards (2013); VEVO's ASK: REPLY (2010); Who Killed Jenni Rivera? (2022).

On this day in movie and book history - The Great Escape (1963)

The Great Escape

directed by John Sturges,

written by James Clavell and W. R. Burnett,

based on the book by Paul Brickhill,

was released in the United States on July 2, 1963.

Music by Elmer Bernstein.

Cast:

Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, Hannes Messemer, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson, John Leyton, Angus Lennie, Nigel Stock, Robert Graf, Jud Taylor, Hans Reiser, Harry Riebauer, William Russell, Robert Freitag, Ulrich Beiger, George Mikell, Lawrence Montaigne, Robert Desmond, Til Kiwe, Heinz Weiss, Tom Adams, Karl-Otto Alberty, Arthur Atkinson.

Recommended reading:

The Great Escape

by Paul Brickhill.

Filmed as The Great Escape (1963), directed by John Sturges.

Published by W. W. Norton & Company.
Published 1950.

ISBN-10: 0393325792
ISBN-13: 9780393325799
 
Description:

"One of the great true stories of the war, and one of the greatest escape narratives of all time." – San Francisco Chronicle.

"Absorbing... spine-tingling... puts the average war book so far in the shadow it's not even funny." – Dallas Times Herald.

"For sheer suspense, puts the fictioneers to shame." – Boston Globe.

"A tense, thrilling, fabulous tale." – Philadelphia Inquirer.

They were American and British air force officers in a German prison camp. With only their bare hands and the crudest of homemade tools, they sank shafts, forged passports, faked weapons, and tailored German uniforms and civilian clothes. They developed a fantastic security system to protect themselves from German surveillance.

It was a split-second operation as delicate and as deadly as a time bomb. It demanded the concentrated devotion and vigilance of more than six hundred men – every one of them, every minute, every hour, every day and night for more than a year.

Made into the classic 1963 war film of the same name starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough.

16 pages of photographs.

On this day in movie history - Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

directed by Jonathan Mostow,

written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris,

based on the story by John Brancato, Michael Ferris and Tedi Sarafian,

was released in the United States on July 2, 2003.

Music by Marco Beltrami.

Cast:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Kristanna Loken, David Andrews, Mark Famiglietti, Earl Boen, Moira Sinise, Chopper Bernet, Christopher Lawford, Carolyn Hennesy, Jay Acovone, M.C. Gainey, Susan Merson, Elizabeth Morehead, Jimmy Snyder, Billy D. Lucas, Brian Sites, Alana Curry, Larry McCormick, Robert Alonzo, Michael Papajohn, Timothy Dowling, Jon Foster, Mark Hicks, Kim Robillard, Matt Gerald, William O’Leary, Rick Zieff, Rebecca Tilney, Chris Hardwick, Helen Eigenberg, Kiki Gorton, Walter von Huene, Jerry Katell, George A. Sack Jr., Eric Ritter.