On how to write
Struggling with one of the N+1 revisions that I have on my desk at the moment, I came across a beautiful passage on how to give advice on how to write. The text is written by John Van Maanen, a giant in the field of organizational ethnography ("Ehtnography Then and Now. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal; Volume: 1 Issue: 1; 2006; p. 14):
"I am, for example, frequently asked how I write and know how to respond perfectly well to such requests. To wit:
I usually get up around seven or so and get a quick breakfast then go before eight to that Cadillac of a computer that sits on my desk for an uninterrupted three solid hours of work, usually the most productive part of my day. I take a break around eleven or so to fetch the snail mail and read my email, then it’s back to work – resisting by shear strength of character the seductions of this mail. I quit around one or so, get lunch and read the morning paper. Then back to the desk for another couple of hours until my concentration inevitably fades and I sag away from the desk around five, go for a run, take a shower and begin, drink in hand, to read over whatever it is I was writing during the day.
Piece of cake. Right? The problem of course is that I get a day like this once every two or three months. I do have a family, classes to teach, a dog to walk, administrative duties to attend to, students to meet, social attractions that call and so on. But I do think my fictional day is rather typical of the help and advice we give when someone asks how to write."
I particularly enjoy the notion that Van Maanen has a day like that once every two or three months. Man, I wish I had a day like that, everyday.
Struggling with one of the N+1 revisions that I have on my desk at the moment, I came across a beautiful passage on how to give advice on how to write. The text is written by John Van Maanen, a giant in the field of organizational ethnography ("Ehtnography Then and Now. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal; Volume: 1 Issue: 1; 2006; p. 14):
"I am, for example, frequently asked how I write and know how to respond perfectly well to such requests. To wit:
I usually get up around seven or so and get a quick breakfast then go before eight to that Cadillac of a computer that sits on my desk for an uninterrupted three solid hours of work, usually the most productive part of my day. I take a break around eleven or so to fetch the snail mail and read my email, then it’s back to work – resisting by shear strength of character the seductions of this mail. I quit around one or so, get lunch and read the morning paper. Then back to the desk for another couple of hours until my concentration inevitably fades and I sag away from the desk around five, go for a run, take a shower and begin, drink in hand, to read over whatever it is I was writing during the day.
Piece of cake. Right? The problem of course is that I get a day like this once every two or three months. I do have a family, classes to teach, a dog to walk, administrative duties to attend to, students to meet, social attractions that call and so on. But I do think my fictional day is rather typical of the help and advice we give when someone asks how to write."
I particularly enjoy the notion that Van Maanen has a day like that once every two or three months. Man, I wish I had a day like that, everyday.
posted by Saku Mantere at 5:45 PM
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