From left to right

    The To Be Read piles sit to the left of my desk while the Have Been Read, To Be Shelved pile is on the right, so, books pass in fairly strict order of acquisition or reviewing deadline and at a steady pace across the surface of the Desk of Power. As they linger in the middle for a day or two, they join assorted 'stuff', the sedimentary accretions, as it were, of this confluence of work, family life and interests (doesn't it sound better if you put it like that?).
     I daren't show a picture as it is shaming in its clutter, but let me describe the scene instead. Immediately to my left is perhaps not a Munro but maybe a lesser class hill of books and papers, at the summit, La's Orchestra Saves the World which I'm about to begin and which is partially obscuring the mystery knitting. Below that are six more books, all being read, consulted or browsed just now. Down further to bills, papers to be filed, publishers' catalogues and my reading notebook. There is also the camera, more knitting and the phone - often ringing from beneath a blanket of yarn. Moving across the computer to the other side, there is another, bigger notebook, and several sheets of paper which are a palimpsest of thoughts and reminders and general jottings.While I can decipher them all I can no longer remember what some of them refer to, and there are odd juxtapositions such as "Quivering Brethren" next to "Dr. Finlay" and a sequence of chords or key changes hard by the website address of a bowling establishment. Beyond the desk to the right is a kind of Old Man of Hoy of books waiting to be found a permanent home on the shelves (which are still under re-organisation....) this lot topped by the excellent Unaccustomed Earth - I do recommend it. I shan't even begin on what's on the floor beside my chair, that's for another day, but if you'll excuse me now I think I ought to tidy up because my mother is here and Questions Will Be Asked about the state of the place; she has the hoover out even as we speak....

Comments

[Pip]

Oh, go on, show us a photo. It will be just like the Writer's Rooms series in the Guardian!

[Nancy]

Sounds _very_ familiar!! My piles around the computer on a large desk are more in the paper line - pages and pages that have not found their way to being filed - all topped off by a soft toy I just had to have (a horse I named Mr. Clip E. D'Clop). But, the pile of books right near my head in the bedroom are threatening - teeter-tottering...

[Janie]

Seeing a photo of your would be so much fun!