Let's make this birthday one to remember.

81 years old (Born on February 16, 1944)

Happy Birthday, Richard Ford! May your day be filled with more joy than Frank Bascombe's introspective musings and fewer complications than the tangled relationships in "A Multitude of Sins." Your novels have given us profound insights into life's complexities—though we're still waiting for you to reveal how sportswriting can actually simplify anything.

From "Rock Springs" to Pulitzer-winning brilliance in "Independence Day," you've masterfully captured humanity’s quirks and contradictions. Here's hoping this year brings as much acclaim (and far less existential angst) as your unforgettable characters experience. Cheers to another chapter richer—and may it contain fewer sins but just enough mischief!