Quiet by Janna Qualman
I am at the library. I sit on a tall retro stool at a tall stainless-steel table. My notebooks are open, laptop fired up and ready to serve. There’s that smell of books. The look of them, too, if I turn my attention from this essay for a moment. There’s the intermittent clacking of another’s keyboard. I hear the voices of the librarian and her staff, whispers that don’t disturb, and the sounds of their busyness. There are also word games on the shelf to my right. (Which reminds me, I really want to play that Bananagrams sometime.)
This is new for me, working from the library. Silly, I’ve never before thought to pack up my things and come here. But my house was too much today. Too much mess, too much noise, too much demand. Cabin fever with a husband who works from home and two kids who’ve had three days’ worth of school cancellation.
My husband had an errand and suggested I run it for him, then seek my quiet at the library. Genius, really. And so here I am, taking advantage and doing some of the things I love most: sitting still, being, writing.
I think this locale, with this little corner I’ve claimed, suits me well. Because when faced with projects—a couple essays, a little fiction, the critique of a colleague’s work—and a need for silence, what better place of relief and resource than a building overflowing to its beams with words?
My favorite part is the white noise of the heater vent, not far above my head. It blows at me now, buffering the quiet, bolstering my potential. I also like that I can think clearly and creatively, without interruption from the responsibilities of home.
This, all of this, is just what I needed. Shh…
Janna Qualman is a freelance and women’s fiction writer. You can visit her blog at Something She Wrote.
Very nice, Janna. I need that same type of quiet, too.
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Oh, I need to get to my local library -haven't done this in a while and you've reminded me of the quiet that I need, which I am not getting here at home today! wonderful...
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A great writer puts the reader there. And you certainly did that, Janna. I was there, enjoying the peace and quiet right along with you.
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I wrote at the library last winter for two weeks, when I had no internet at home. It was too cold and notcomfy enough for me. I like slippers and a blanket, occasionally to stretch out on the couch with a hot cup of coffee by my side, more likely though, a bowl of popcorn or if I'm in a healthy mood, some grapes for plucking. I need cozy to write, not so much quiet. I love your essay - it makes me *almost* want to go to the library.
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Thank you, ladies.
Amy, I usually love all those things, too, which is why (I guess) I hadn't ventured to the library yet, for the sake of writing. It's a good back-up plan for me now.
Brenda, that's one of the bestcompliments you could give me. Thank you!
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Janna: Youcommented on my snow poem today on my blog, saying you're anxious for spring. But snow, and snow's cancellations, got you to the library! Ah yes, the silence of libraries. Of books. Printed books. I don't believe e-books can ever replace them, or libraries. I hope not. And I hope you wrote even more than this, which is beautifully written!
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I am a big fan of working at the library! There is something about purposefully going somewhere to write, without the distraction of laundry, puppies, or things around the house, that makes for a time of quality writing. Bless your husband for suggesting you go there!
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Janna -- I find too, a nice cushy booth at a restaurant during their down time, or even the bookstore with its white noise serve as good places to hunker down and get into the zone. Glad you have your library perch nearby for escape.
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