Let's make this birthday one to remember.

85 years old (Born on July 22, 1939)

Happy Birthday, Quincy! May your day be filled with poetic rhythms smoother than Miles Davis's trumpet solos and celebrations grander than California naming you its first Poet Laureate. Your words have built an architecture of language that even James Baldwin would applaud—though he'd probably remind us all to keep it real.

Here's hoping this year brings more memorable verses, literary triumphs, and perhaps fewer people asking if you're related to a jazz troupe (pun intended). Keep inspiring us through poetry that's timelessly cool—and may the legacy you've crafted continue hitting high notes for many birthdays yet to come!