Anne Enright uses a corner of her living room to write in. She must have great, undisturby type kids.
I know it's a while since this was featured in the Guardian, but I was just doing my go-through-the-papers-for-articles-to-cut-out routine this morning, and came across it again. I've stuffed the hard copy into my bulging Anne Enright file. Yes, in case ye didn't know, I'm a fan.
It's further proof to me of the humility and lack of pretentiousness of the woman. Though maybe she is planning a fancy-schmanzy study upstairs because she says she writes in this room pictured 'at the moment'. She also says she 'can write anywhere'. I think if a writer needs a very particular set up to write, it's bad news. Train yourself to write anywhere! But always have your fixed place too, so your family know you are serious.
You can read the entire piece here.
5 comments:
i love this.
the paris review has a long tradition of doing interviews with writers on the writing process, which includes where they write.
didn't truman capote once say he couldn't write if there were yellow roses in the room? (or was it he could only write if there were yellow roses in the room?)
Hi Laurie
I love the Paris Review Interviews. Every so often I sit down with them and re-read. I love how upfront some of the writers are. Sassy!
I don't know about the Truman quote. It could be either way, knowing him!
I used the whole no place to write thing as an excuse for way too long. I'm over it now. I hope.
i got curious and did a google search.
answer: a pox on those yellow roses! here's what i found:
Although he could not abide yellow roses in a room, Truman Capote was another who preferred yellow paper. His favorite writing tool was the Blackwing No. 602, an intensely black lead pencil made by Faber Castell.
Hey Laurie, thanks for that, that's brilliant!! What a contrary nut he was. Or was it all for show, part of the self-created Capote legend?
I always think the yellow legal pad thing is just writers copying famous writers. We don't really have those yellow pads here, that I know of. If we do, they're not popular or widely available.
Anyway, whatever floats your boat. I think the yellow pages would make me queasy after a while. BUT I also think writers should train themselves to write ON anything, WITH anything.
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