In her newest collection of essays A Horse at Night: On Writing, Amina Cain writes: “When I start writing a new story, I often begin with setting. I stalked through the silences of the rooms like an animal. It was in this spot where I wanted to write. In a corner there was a large desk with drawers and pencils and several potted plants. I arranged all my books by genre and stacked them in piles according to interest or theme. My toaster so often tripped the breaker that I learned the dark texture of the hallway wall to its switch like a face. The kitchen cupboard rattled like an old witch in a folktale. The light was good-evocative and absorbing. I moved to an apartment with many french sash windows and high ceilings. I had recently separated from a man I had hoped to love the whole rest of my life and flagrantly thrown away a reputable career. Gradually, then suddenly, the opportunity presented itself. There was no furniture and no heat, no money, and no time.
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