Want to see where I work?

I thought so.

One of the first things I did after we moved into our apartment was to set up a writing area in our second bedroom. It's a quiet corner filled with essential books, decorated appropriately with poetry and pictures of England, and outfitted with a substantial collection of office supplies as well as a printer (under the desk) and my IKEA chair Jeff (actually Jeff 2; I broke Jeff 1 by leaning too hard on the plastic backrest, then tried to make do with duct tape for a while before admitting I could probably just spring for another $10 chair).

So here's my writing nook:

...and here's where I actually do most of my work:

Not pictured are the stacks of books I often leave on the floor around the couch and the dishes that usually join me at the coffee table for lunch. As you can see, I've noted some of the convenient distractions that surround my work area of choice. I could also have pointed out my phone, although it's not much of a distraction because it's a three-year-old non-smart phone, and the big, comfy blanket my sister made for me.

Okay, so it doesn't seem like the most productive way to work, but I actually work better here than at my desk. Not only is the desk a little too high to sit at comfortably with a non-adjustable chair like Jeff, but when sitting on the couch I have more space to spread out my books and papers and I can look out the window once in a while to feel less isolated. Even when I had an office on campus, I rarely worked there outside of office hours because it was too cold and lonely. My ideal place to work is a coffee shop or a busy part of a library, because the background noise and the feeling of having other people around help me to be more focused and motivated. There are coffee shops just a short bike ride in either direction from my apartment, but I don't take advantage of those alternative work spaces as often as I'd like to. (Partly because I can only drink so much tea and hot chocolate. Also because my computer has to stay plugged in (it has no battery) and sit on an upside-down muffin pan (it overheats easily).)

How about you? Do you work best in quiet environments, or do you like background noise? If you work from home, how do you stay focused (I hear that working in a designated area helps, but I've already failed on that front)?

I live!

While lying awake far too late last night (too much sugar from eating brownies? constant coughing from that cold I can't shake?), I decided I felt like writing again. My old blog, which I lost interest in over the last few years, didn't seem like the right place to start up again, so here I am! Why?

1. Part of me feels a little stressed or guilty every time I write something that isn't my dissertation. But actually, any writing, however unrelated to my work, helps keep my brain in writing mode and makes the words come more easily when I do get around to the diss.
2. I'm living in a place where I know almost no one and have few opportunities to make friends, so I'm feeling disconnected. I want to be better at reaching out and staying in touch with friends and family in a venue other than Facebook, which already knows too much about me and where I'm not comfortable addressing personal or controversial topics. (Yes, I realize I'm complaining about Facebook's creepiness on a Google-owned platform, but I'm choosing my battles. That's a post for another time.)
3. I don't keep a journal, so it would be nice to have some record of what I'm up to and thinking about.
4. For Peter's sake, I should have somewhere to talk through and share my thoughts. Because I spend most of my time alone, I talk his ear off when he's around. True story: Almost every night he'll finish his dinner before I'm even halfway done because I talk so much.

When I was a freshman in college, I named the first incarnation of my blog "Inane Ramblings of an Incurable Cynic" (although the title later cycled through cynical Vonnegut and Beckett references).  I expect Blog 2.0 will be less cynical, possibly still inane. I imagine I'll write a lot about the things I think a lot about: books, food, feminism, travel, politics. But we'll see. Come along if you'd like!

P.S. I hate thinking of blog titles and addresses, so as often happens, I've resorted to literary references for both. Bonus points if you recognize them without googling.