Tuesday, January 26, 2010

From the dark side




Yesterday I went to the birthday party of a writer friend. I'm not allowed to say whose or how old, but it was a milestone number and a great gathering!

Her home is in Marin County overlooking part of San Rafael Bay. Most of the guests oohed and aahed over her workspace, which has a full wall of window facing the water.
I'd never be able to work in such a space. Too open, too distracting, too much wildlife, not enough buildings.

Scary.

I prefer caves.

My office is small and dark. I keep it that way by having my blinds closed during the day. The only things in my field of view are my computer, TV, 3 printers, scanner, DVD player, and books, of course. Nothing scary, like a duck or a bird or long weeds full of insects, or the blinding sun.

My computer desktop is a photo taken from a Manhattan office window. The photo is thanks to Margery Flax, Office Manager and overall Chief of Mystery Writers of America, who is in no way responsible for this text.)

I'm sure this preference comes from childhood. My bedroom window for the first 21 years of my life was about one yard away from the jukebox in the pizza parlor next door. The only sounds I heard were human (recorded or otherwise, and sometimes accompanied by sirens); the only vista a brick wall.

I spent the next 20 years shuffling between Boston, Hartford, The Bronx, and Washington, DC. Not exactly prairie land.



That combination of buildings, subway tunnels, and city noises is still comforting to me, and the place I work best.

Am I in the minority here?

8 comments:

Betty Hechtman said...

I have a window that looks out on a lime tree in my workroom. It doesn't really matter because when I'm writing, I don't pay any attention to my surroundings, which could explain how I never seem to notice all the piles of papers around.

Joanna Campbell Slan said...

Camille, I recently repositioned my desk to face a poster of a painting by Manet. I like the quiet except for a concentration audio tape that I play that helps you get into the right brainwaves. Right now, I'm struggling with clutter as the result of the move. That's a New Year's Resolution for me...to streamline.

Monica Ferris said...

I've worked with my desk facing a window with views of a quiet neighborhood, I've worked with my desk facing a blank wall. Right now my desk in in the apartment's "den," which has no windows at all. When I'm having trouble writing, I can stare out a window for hours. When the muse is riding me, it doesn't matter where I am, I can -- and have -- written in a car (with someone else driving, of course) or motel room.

Anonymous said...

ALL humble abodes, each with a power packed aura producing pleasure for writer and reader! I love the serene scene, Camille, as well as the subway tunnel! xoxoxo

Ann Parker said...

My desk faces a "Birds-Eye View" map of Leadville, circa 1882. The rest of my office is very cave-like, but that's basically due to disorganization (stacks of paper everywhere!).

Dana Fredsti said...

I love to have calm and quiet around me... I used to love to shut my living room curtains, light candles (or a fire in the fireplace if it was cold enough) and shut out the world... I don't, however, like the noise of a city around me...

Linda O. Johnston said...

I used to work in an upstairs office away from everything, Camille. A while back, though, my computer got replaced in a downstairs office which is fine, unless anyone is home with the TV on--with sound. Right now, rain is clunking on the air conditioning unit, but it's not too distracting. I'm with you, Betty. The papers around me are all but invisible when I work!

Camille Minichino said...

Since everyone on this blog is so prolific, it makes sense that we adjust to any surroundings. It always makes me smile when some of my writing students are waiting for the perfect desk or for the kids to leave home or ...