Valerie Wetlaufer: Where I write
I wanted to wait to show you my writing space until it was perfectly organized, until all my pretty little things were on the wall and neatly arranged. Until I’d finally finished shelving (and re-shelving) books and filing away papers, but then I remembered a Voltaire quote about not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. The truth is, when I am working, my space is never tidy and perfect, and wanting to present it that way to the internet is dishonest. So here is my workspace in all its cluttered realness.
The other reason I’ve put off writing this is that I just moved, and I’m still settling in to my new writing space. I have this lovely little desk in a corner of my bedroom, and I do work there, often, but I spend more time at the expansive kitchen table, where I can spread out my books, overlook the forest, espying deer, rabbits, turkey, a few foxes, and benefit from a ceiling fan.
After twelve years in higher education, I’m slowly feeling my way through a new, freer writing routine, and the freedom to read and write every day without feeling as though I’m neglecting a pressing deadline is glorious. I’ve resumed my not-always-regular practice of writing a poem a day, and these poems mostly get typed at the table, with my coffee, sparked by some passage in Proust or whatever poem I’m reading at the time.
When I began a daily writing practice in 2010, my writing locale became less important. I still like having a special place I can go to write, but writing a poem a day meant that sometimes I wrote the poem in bed first thing in the morning, or on my phone on the way to work, or scribbled on the back of a scrap of paper while standing in a line. Still, despite evidence to the contrary, I need a writing-specific place for peace of mind. I like to store personal mantras (whether writing-related or not), so I can see them as I work. I like my books to be nearby, as I most frequently gain inspiration from other writers. I like small things with which I can fiddle. I prefer, if possible, a room with a view.
