Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Working in Bed




One: Mark Twain, Two: Truman Capote, Three: Vladimir Nabokov


Today I had a moment of indecisiveness before I left my apartment and quickly switched my plans. Instead of going to work at the library I headed back to bed, unpacked my bag, brewed a tea and got down to my reading. I don't have a desk at home, so it means that on the rare occasions when I don't work in the library or the office I end up on the sofa, or in my bed surrounded by books. I know from experience that working in bed every day isn't great for me - I end up having trouble sleeping at night if I do it too often - but now and then it's pretty fun. Would you be able to bring your work to bed? Mark Twain told writers who were struggling with their creative work 'Just try it in bed sometime. I sit up with a pipe in my mouth and a board on my knees, and I scribble away' and Truman Capote admitted 'I am a completely horizontal author. I can't think unless I'm lying down, either in bed or stretched on a couch and with a cigarette and coffee handy. I've got to be puffing and sipping. As the afternoon wears on, I shift from coffee to mint tea to sherry to martinis', what an image!

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