Barthes and Benjamin on writing tools

[guyy]

Here’s an interview with Roland Barthes on how he writes. There’s a fair amount of discussion about how he has a lot of pens and how he’s obsessed with them for their feel. (Me too!).

Warning: it’s in French

http://www.pileface.com/sollers/spip.php?article1655

Walter Benjamin, another renowned Paris resident has a brief discussion of writers tools in his _One Way Street_ “Post No Bills” IV:

“Avoid haphazard writing materials. A pedantic adherence to certain papers, pens, inks is beneficial. No luxury, an abundance of such utensils is indispensable.”

One Way Street was pre-Paris, but at any rate...

I felt less guilty about my pedantic adherences & amassing of abundances after reading that passage years ago. It’s sometimes the constraint that allows the words to flow.