Silence Isn't Always So Golden for Readers and Writers

I once read Raymond Carver put out a "SILENCE, WRITER AT WORK" sign outside his studio. Do you need complete silence when you're reading (or also, as often in my case, writing) something? Does the slightest noise distract or divert you?

Libraries are supposed to be quiet zones. Ditto hospitals. Have you ever visited a quiet library or hospital? I haven't lately. I've seen readers totally engrossed by a book in the noisiest places. Sitting on the subway car at rush hour, for instance. Or else inside a loud bistro or crowded cafe.

I prefer to write (or read) beside a window looking out on the street. My reason is simple. Working in a cloister doesn't work for me. The human contact element is one of the advantages of working in an office. Well, sometimes. Dealing with your irrate boss or talkative cube mate is probably the wrong sort of human interaction.

By Ed Lynskey
@edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles
"Satisfying."
The Rap Sheet/Kirkus Reviews