A Space of Your Own: Writing Sheds, Writing Studios, & Writing Spaces - Agodon's Electronic Postcard, July 2014
Agodon's Electronic Postcard: July 11, 2014 ~
"On the balcony of sea wings..." Pablo Neruda
Dear Friends of Summer,
The above photo is a snapshot from my writing studio, or actually, my writing shed (named House of Sea), which I built several years ago.
(Here's a blog post of it being built and here's a blog post with a photo of what it looked like when it was done).
In the summer, I tend to take a hiatus from writing, publishing, and consulting, though as a cofounder of Two Sylvias Press, I'm learning, we're never *really* done working. Still, there are many moments in the day to slow down and enjoy the view of summer.
There have also been evenings where I've wandered away into House of Sea just for a few minutes to quiet my mind and write. Even fifteen or twenty minutes can slow down a busy day and product a first draft of a poem, idea, or a few lines.
My writing shed is an actual shed I purchased at Lowe's for about $2000. You can design it with skylights and windows and they will come to your home and build it (you just have to clear a space for them in advance).
While I was content with a long extension cord from the house for my space heater, my husband suggested having an electrician come to add outlets and well, electricity. Smart move. For $800, I have outlets for my laptop if needed, two lights, a small radio and a space heater, which heats my 8" x 10" space quite well.
If you don't have a shed you can redo or build, or live in an apartment, I highly recommend creating your own writing space in a corner somewhere, or overlooking a window. Have it be a place only devoted to writing, your space. Where you can write poems, essays, stories, journal, or write letters to friends.
These armoires make fantastic hidden writing spaces.
And if you have a writing studio or space or if you move forward and make one, I'd love to see it. (Feel free to email a photo of it to me at kelli (at) agodon.com – (Note: my vacation responder is on, but I do check my email at least once a week).
Some things that have interested me this week--
The Mama's & The Papa's had to censor their album because it showed (drumroll please: A toilet!) Here's one article showing the "offensive" toilet album cover & the additional images of how the record company fixed the problem, and this article with larger images and a link to other banned album covers.
Here are two great segments on our NPR station KUOW by our new Poet Laureate Elizabeth Austen with some amazing poems being read by the poets. ~ 1) Check out Christine Deavel (co-owner of Open Books with John Marshall) reading a fantastic poem about finding a credit card in Seattle's Thorton Creek. 2) And also, Martha Silano who wrote a poem inspired by an NPR story, and the topic has continued to inspire new work and a new manuscript.
Here's a poem featured in RATTLE Magazine about desire, imagination, and domestic life called "Laundry List" by Michelle Ornat that made me smile this week.
Two Sylvias Press has officially started selling The Poet Tarot & Guidebook along with Poet Tarot Postcards.
What I'm Reading: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKoewn , Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, Still Writing: Perils and Pleasures of the Creative Lifeby Dani Shapiro, and My Life in France by Julia Child
Writing Sheds & Studios of Famous Writers: Click on each of the smaller images to see it larger and who wrote where.
Having just done a photo shoot with the photographer Kat St. John & the insecurities I felt when looking at my own photos, this caught my attention in the NY Times: When Selfies Won't Do: Glamour Shots for Personal Branding
The title poem from Susan Rich (who celebrated a birthday this week), from her book Cloud Pharmacy (now available as a Kindle book for only $6.99!)
Today's thought: Don't be the person who chooses a dollar sign over living a rich life. There are many ways to be rich--only a few involve money.
I hope you are all having a joyful creative summer!
xo,
Kelli
____________________
Kelli Russell Agodon
If you want to connect in other ways via social media, here's where you can occasionally find me:
Twitter: @kelliagodon
Facebook: facebook.com/agodon
Instagram: instagram.com/agodon
Book of Kells blog: ofkells.blogspot.com