Many writers leverage the details of their surroundings to support specific properties of their work. When composing Hamilton, for example, Lin-Manuel Miranda wrangled permission to write in the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the oldest surviving house in Manhattan, which served as both the headquarters for George Washington during the Battle of Harlem Heights and the home of Aaron Burr during his vice presidential years. “I love that we are just a bunch of layers above where all this shit went down,” Miranda explained.
