The Anatomy of an Unoriginal Mind
28 May
I was taking pictures of the new place last night, since it’s finally settled, and realized that my desk really betrays my lack of originality. Then again, when I saw Gaiman read, even he said, “You don’t exist in a vacuum.” This will probably not be interesting to anyone but me, because I like dissecting every little detail of every little thing, but here is what it takes:
a) Keyboard. Because the laptop one is always covered with s#!t.
b) Buddha. Keeps me sane and holds my noise-canceling headphones. Also holds tea lights. Om Mani Padme Hum, dude.
c) Inane post-its containing things I should do in my next novel, but will probably forget.
d) New album—in this case (well, most cases, actually) Manic Street Preachers. I’ll get some mileage out of that.
e) Jan Lievens exhibit brochure from National Gallery graces the cork board. Dutch Baroque muse?
f) Inspiring personalities in music. The one indicated is my Dead Boyfriend, Franz Liszt.
g) Andy Warhol quotes. Discussed previously.
h) Van Tango. Discussed previously.
i) Old CDs. Mostly classical found at second-hand book shops, in this rack. Best way to buy classical, apart from iTunes.
j) Edwin the Unfortunately Pink Reindeer (thank you Nat!) guards the printer. Also, Voices postcard tacked to research bookshelf, to remind me that I am totally publishable.
k) Current (well, current until last night) research read. Endless post it flags mean I’m insane. Also, you can see the top of the pen Becca gave me over my plastic mug, but not the star stand on which it sits. It has my name and first date of publication on it– again, to remind me. I am totally confident.
l) Hand-written notes from Neuronaut Reenie on currently being edited MS. My betas complete me.
m) Palm. So I never have to be totally netless.
n) F^&k-off loud speakers. Not pictured: Subwoofer under the desk.
o) Lola, my laptop. She’s sitting on “The Annotated Shakespeare: Vol. III, Tragedies and Romances”. Tells you how long its been since I read those, I reckon.
p) Space-aged race-car chair.
q) Book shelf between me and the front door. Loaded on both sides with goodness. And some of my husband’s boring crap, too.
r) ElfQuest prints. Best comic ever.
Also not pictured: Champagne Girl and white board just to my left. The white board is currently filled with potato graphs my uber-geek consultant husband drew to explain what is best in life. (Surprisingly, it was not to crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women. In spite of the fact that he has seen Conan multiple times. Hm.)
More than you ever wanted to know about me! Hey, we all do it, and I’ve seen some of yours. Anyone else?
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Now playing: Manic Street Preachers – Me And Stephen Hawking
via FoxyTunes
Actually a very spacious looking room. Quite clean I would say, mostly because my wife doesn’t even like to look at my writing space. Thanks for sharing.
Edwin!!
Wow, guarding printers. He’s moved up in the world. When I met him, he was living in a Borders near the cook book section.
Holy crap…you’ve broken it down, a-r. Thanks for the insight into your, uh, world. I need one of those chairs. Mine are always second hand or found in dumpsters.
I love your chair – mine has lost the will to live. Thanks for sharing your space, I do love an opportunity to be nosey.
I fear it’d be less clean, Jamie, if it wasn’t for the fact that we’ve only been moved in a month, and that it’s sort of part of the living room, separated by a counter and the bookshelf. We both “work” from home so everything’s a friggin office. Ha!
Nat, he does his duties admirably. He certainly has stepped up!
Aaron, yes, I was annoyed, in a creepy voyeuristic manner, that when people showed their offices I couldn’t see what, exactly, the pictures and books were. Natalie’s narration helped somewhat, but otherwise I was vexed. Anatomy, a-r.
Chair was the best investment ever. My back is much happier with me these days.
Cate, yes! I’m just a nosy old cat lady, I confess! (I just got the chair for Xmas. WIN!)
[ETA: Wow I wrote this comment then noticed that my cat is actually in the second picture, behind the arm of the chair... see. Nosy old cat lady.]
What Cate said.
From an unoriginal mind.
Neuronaut Reenie
Remind me to have Warren Ellis’ babies sometime (while I’m married to Alex Turner, of course). It probably needs done.
Gotcha, Mike
Reenie, yeah, it’s definitely your new name. I spent the day re-reading Freakangels, then caught myself up again.
You and Arkady. Love.
I am gratified to see that someone else has the same sort of stuff in their office that I have in (what passes for) mine. Except that mine is shoved up against the Wall O’ Bookcases, so no fun wallspace on which to post for me. Sigh.
Well bookcases are just as well– you can put all the necessary books for your projects right beside you! We have endless white walls, living in apartments all the time. I do so love to mess them up.
Ok, so yeah.. im pretty weird. But then again, loook at the company I keep (cough… katie…. cough) But, I always find these pictures to be like a window into someones home. Maybe I was a peeping tom in another life. Who knows!
You DO keep some strange company–
Oh! I meant CJ! Ha! (Okay, no, me. But still.)
And yeah, I like peeping like this too. A lot of the others were doing it before but I never really got around to it. Then I moved and had all these pictures and… what the hell, right? It’s like when we had our desk wars!
That, I must say, is a rad effing chair…