Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Ivan Raconteur Column – 11/04/13



I was perusing the blog of the London Review of Books (LRB) recently when a piece by Nick Richardson stopped me in my tracks.

The title of the piece is “Benefits of a hangover.”

This piqued my interest, since I have been doing field research on that particular topic for years, and I am obliged to report I haven’t discovered many benefits.

Richardson was writing about “Daily Rituals,” a book by Mason Currey, in which the author describes the daily work habits of 161 novelists, poets, playwrights, painters, philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians.

The book, according to Richardson, is full of stories about writers who spent their nights living it up and becoming inebriated, then woke up in the morning and buckled down to intense periods of efficient work.

Richardson states working with a hangover can be surprisingly effective. He surmises this may be because the condition numbs the frivolous part of the brain that is apt to wander off and waste time surfing the Internet or engaging in other unproductive activities when one is trying to work.

Naturally, I hesitate to advocate over-indulgence in the consumption of adult beverages as a means of improving productivity, but perhaps we shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss the idea, either.

There is no doubt that the curiosity that draws some of us to writing can also be the greatest impediment to our productivity.

When we are in the zone, there isn’t much that can distract us from cranking out reams of sparkling prose. It is the borderline times, however, that can give us the most trouble.

At those times, we haven’t quite locked in to our muse, and anything shiny can lure us away from the path to productivity.

I have often been astonished at the amount of detail I notice in my environment in the moments before I get down to serious writing. I develop ultra-sensitive hearing and eagle vision. I find I can suddenly hear conversations that are taking place on the other side of the office, and I can clearly see a gnat resting its wings on the trim above my office door across the room.

It is because I have experienced these things that I am inclined to give Richardson’s theory further consideration.

I find it entirely plausible that a hangover could improve one’s concentration, not because it would make one smarter, but because it can make us lose interest in the world around us.

In the throes of a good hangover, we probably wouldn’t care about the conversation across the office, and we couldn’t be bothered to wonder what that gnat was up to.

If we were truly and comprehensively squiffy the night before, we would probably be too busy trying to keep our head on to worry about much else.

A good hangover can render our inquisitive side temporarily out of order, thus freeing up our brain to concentrate on writing. By focusing on one thing instead of 20, we are likely to work more efficiently and become more productive.

The down side in all of this is we may have to do more drinking.

I realize I may be inviting criticism by suggesting an increase in consumption, but there might not be any alternative.

One can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, and, by the same token, one can’t manufacture a proper hangover without pulling a few corks.

It’s not as if I would enjoy doing more imbibing. It might well be a hardship if I was forced to increase consumption (although it would be welcome news for the distinguished people who distill Bombay Sapphire).

Still, we writers must make sacrifices for our art, and I would be willing to accept the challenge.

This new strategy may require some adjustment, since I have spent most of my life trying, with varying degrees of success, to avoid hangovers.

According to Richardson’s theory, living the high life could improve my writing efficiency, so I am willing to make the effort.

If working with a self-inflicted headache was good enough for cats like Hemingway and Joyce, it is good enough for me.

I’m going to have to remember to order that book about the work habits of successful writers. There’s no telling what other gems I may find that I can incorporate into my own routine.

It’s tough work, but someone has to do it.





































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