Headspace: A series in which teaching staff and students from the English Department write about a place or space they go to write, read, study or create. [Read all entries.]  [Revisit the “Ongoing” series.] [Revisit the “Interrogative” series.]

No phone. Only natural and mental distractions.

natural

The glare of the sun.

Pounding rain. Cracks of thunder.

A full bladder. Hunger pangs.

mental

Always a number of major projects.  Which do I work on? Where do I begin?

Always a number of urgent tasks. My projects must wait.

Finally just getting deep into a portion of one of my major projects, the sun long gone and the rhythm of the music driving me deeper still, life suddenly calls and wakes me from my trance, not once but twice, forcing me to stop until the distraction of the sun’s glare returns.

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John Wakefield is Assistant Professor at the Department of English Language and Literature. [Click here to read all entries by John.]