The Writers' Dojo and My Unhealthy Attachment to Shoes
So last week I rode my bike over to St. John's to check out Jeff Selin's new writers' space the Writers' Dojo. Writing communities have always fascinated me, from fabled writing groups like the Algonquin Round Table to the Grotto in San Francisco to my own writing community here in Portland, so I was excited to see what Jeff was starting.
The space is absolutely beautiful. It has an Eastern theme, as its name suggests, with bamboo flooring, polished wood beams, and grounds with a well-manicured garden. When I walked in, Jeff asked me to remove my shoes, and I could feel the perfect spring of the spotless floors.
With all due respect to Jeff, and his vision of bringing a writing community to St. John's, which I completely support and think is a great idea, well, I didn't like it.
This says far more about me than it does about the wonderful space Jeff created. I have an ongoing debate with my wife about wearing shoes in our house, and the last thing I want is to have the same issue in an office space. To me it's just one more thing to have to remember to do. Like I walk in the door, all excited to see my kids, and then I get, "Jim! Take off your shoes!" and I'm completely deflated and grumpy.
And then, I don't know, I just like my work space to be a little grungy--my office space in the Periscope Studio is full of the tchotskies of comic artists. I loved it. Crap everywhere. And God, you should see the mess in the Baby Wit garage.
The Writers' Dojo was simply too clean for me. I mean, where would I put my shitty, old, spray-painted 500-pound Steelcase? And what about my pile of wadded-up notebook paper?
Anyway, I'm going back to my trash-ridden hovel. The space is great, please ignore me...
The space is absolutely beautiful. It has an Eastern theme, as its name suggests, with bamboo flooring, polished wood beams, and grounds with a well-manicured garden. When I walked in, Jeff asked me to remove my shoes, and I could feel the perfect spring of the spotless floors.
With all due respect to Jeff, and his vision of bringing a writing community to St. John's, which I completely support and think is a great idea, well, I didn't like it.
This says far more about me than it does about the wonderful space Jeff created. I have an ongoing debate with my wife about wearing shoes in our house, and the last thing I want is to have the same issue in an office space. To me it's just one more thing to have to remember to do. Like I walk in the door, all excited to see my kids, and then I get, "Jim! Take off your shoes!" and I'm completely deflated and grumpy.
And then, I don't know, I just like my work space to be a little grungy--my office space in the Periscope Studio is full of the tchotskies of comic artists. I loved it. Crap everywhere. And God, you should see the mess in the Baby Wit garage.
The Writers' Dojo was simply too clean for me. I mean, where would I put my shitty, old, spray-painted 500-pound Steelcase? And what about my pile of wadded-up notebook paper?
Anyway, I'm going back to my trash-ridden hovel. The space is great, please ignore me...
Labels: Portlandia
posted by bigdumbjim at 12:13
3 Comments:
But can you stand it for a couple of hours every other week, if some of the rest of us promise to scratch our crotches or belch,or something? Or scatter manuscript papers all over that insanely-perfect floor?
Now that Jeff has dragged his living room upstairs into it, and it's been christened with cheap red wine I think I can tolerate it.
Why do you look so terrified in this picture?
Post a Comment
<< Home