I’ve been working on a conference paper for some time now, and for the past few weeks the books and papers have gradually crept across the floor of my study. One evening last week, I realised that I had run out of space and so a few books moved to the rug in the living-room … the rug is now full …

I am aware that this is a very messy way of working and a make a firm effort to have no visitor when I get into this kind of state, as it is embarrassing … however, I have just found a nice little essay written by someone who  works in the same way. The nice thing about finding that is not so much that someone else can be as untidy, but that it’s got a NAME. As soon as you can name something, it becomes a bit more legitimate? So now I can revel in my new-found status of being horizontally organised, and I can put off doing anything about it!