Writer's Envy

For the past 20 years as part of my work I've written technical papers. Things like '2.5cm. if angled greater than 15 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the supra-renal aorta: either forward angulation or lateral angulation. Exclude if the angle is greater than 30 degrees.' or ' Use the centre of the Image Intensifier screen to avoid parallax and mark the centre. Use the injector & Digital Subtraction Angiography.' - all riveting stuff - NOT!!

What I really want to write are pieces like ' Once, during lunch, I caught a glimpse of the whole garden swaying in the breeze as though it were a single flower. Immediately I thought of Monet's garden at Giverny where we first met. I could picture us there: you standing behind me, pointing to a crowd of red poppies, accidentally brushing my hair with your hand. Even now, as I write this, I feel the blood rush to my face, as it did when you made that small accidental gesture in the garden.' from one of my favourite authors Alice Steinbach.

Or ' My sharpest, the most indelible memoir of a hurricane, which to me dramatized the wind force more than a hundred panoramic shots of toppled trees and floating houses, was my recollection of a pencil-thin something that had pierced the bark of a tree and lodged deep in there like a struck arrow. It was a straw.' written as only the most eloquent of Essayists Alistair Cooke could.

This beautiful structure is actually called 'The Writer's Pavilion'. One can only imagine the person who commissioned it, what treasures lie within, the adjuncts & tools carefully placed that ensure the words flow freely in a space specifically deigned for writing only. It would be impossible to write technical stuff in these surroundings - only words of beauty, elegance & literary merit need apply!!

Images: Appleton Architects