Room for writing

Guess who writes here?

And here?

And here?

The Guardian has a great feature publishing pictures of the rooms where some famous authors write, including commentary by the writers. Very fun to peruse.

Now that our detached garage has been converted into an art and writing studio for Annie, she'll be moving out there, and I'll be reconfiguring my own space in the house. I like to have a room with all my books and papers. But the place I end up writing the most is in the living room, feet up, laptop (that has no internet capability) on my lap.

Answers to above:

#1: Nobel laureate poet Seamus Heaney

#2: Novelist fantastique Sarah Waters

#3: Writer of one of my favorite novels ever (The Master), Colm Toibin

Progressive in SF

I can't believe I saw Colm Toibin read last night. I can't believe I hadn't realized he'd be there at the Progressive Reading Series at the Makeout Room in San Francisco.

I was there to be part of the Six-Word Memoir slam, which happened half-way through the evening's event, which also featured Vendela Vida, Steve Almond, Michelle Orange and Charles D'Ambrosio.

What a fun, wacky venue. A huge crowd, standing room only.

And what a shock that someone who wrote one of my favorite novels of all time--The Master--was there. (The Master envisions the emotional life of Henry James. There are so many great moments in that book, like James getting into bed with Oliver Wendell Holmes. But it's really not sensationalist; it's a moving, insightful internal journey.)

Toibin read a provocative story from his new collection, Mothers and Sons. I'm sure I'll be buying that book and gobbling it up soon.

How can it be that I didn't even know about the Progressive Reading Series before last week? Upcoming readers include Amy Tan, Justin Chin, Jane Smiley, Pam Houston, Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snickett), Po Bronson, Jonathan Franzen, Aimee Bender, David Glen Gold.

The cost to enter the venue ($10-20 sliding scale) supports progressive causes. Last night's focus was No on Proposition 98 and Yes on Proposition 99. If 98 passes in June, rent conrol will be wiped out in California. Toibin talked about how that happened in Dublin, which was devasating especially to the elderly on fixed incomes.

Loved the mix of politics and literature. I will be back.