Writing in the Kitchen, in the Presence of Those I Love Most
Maybe I’m just not a writer who’s meant to work in peace and quiet, as lovely as that sounds.

Wow, you seem awfully needy. That’s not a problem for me!


For the last couple of years—especially when my kids were home doing remote school every day—I got used to working on my book with the sounds of the household all around me. What started out as challenging gradually became normal, even somewhat comforting. Now, on the rare occasions when I do retreat to work behind my closed office door, it can feel a bit isolated (and not only because I know the dog misses me). Maybe I’m just not a writer who’s meant to work in peace and quiet, as lovely as that sounds.
Nicole Chung is the author of All You Can Ever Know, a national bestseller and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the forthcoming memoir A Living Remedy. Find her on Twitter: @nicolesjchung
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