My Desk

I have a paper I need to finish. Well actually I have about four papers due at the end of the semester one of which is 30+ pages and I need to have as much of that done as early as possible so I can concentrate on the others ones which are all shorter. So I have been working around the clock trying to get this paper as complete as possible before I turn the first draft in. The point is I've been spending an extra lot of time at my desk.

Every once in a while I run across an article about famous writers' creative space. Whether it's a particular desk, a bedroom or writing shake in the woods people seem interested in looking at the spaces that authors occupied while they wrote. As someone who does a lot of writing, both academic and fiction my spaces is important to me. I need to have my books in easy reach, I need to have something to drink on my desk, I have a bowl of fruit on the table next to my desk. How I decorated it is also important to me. Right now on my desk, itself I have a lovely print of an original piece by Wylie Elise Beckert called The God of Deadlines, a print of a Edward Gorey piece, a photograph of my cat, a little cut out figure of Michel Foucault (you can see his feet and legs in the photo) and some business cards and quotes. On the shelf above my desk I have a photograph of my little nephew. There is also a gorgeous print of an original art piece by Joanna Estep which depicts Loki slaying Baldr from Norse mythology done in the style of the marvel comics and while the two are in a very homoerotic pose. I also have more books and my Wonder Woman lunch box.

What about you, what does your work space look like? Do you like to have art and things to look at as you write, or do you like to keep it plain?