Enjoy this peek inside the writing and recording space of award-winning newspaper columnist, critic, songwriter, blogger at blood, dirt & angles, and author of The President Next Door: Poems, Songs and Journalism, Philip Martin. Philip's book was a feature of the 2016 Arkansas Literary Festival, and collects poems and song lyrics, many of which were inspired by his journalistic work.
It wouldn't be a stretch to say Philip's creative thinking space also extends to the outdoor environs of Little Rock's Hillcrest and Heights neighborhoods. One can't drive around these neighborhoods for long without seeing Philip and his wife, Karen, faithfully walking furry rescue dogs, rain or shine. In the image above, their dog Paris serves as Philip's muse as he strums.
About his space, Philip shares:
"Last year we bought a new house — a much smaller house than the mid-century Hillcrest modern we’d lived in for 19 years. And so we began to divest ourselves of books and CDs and other material things. The Swedes call it “döstädning” — death cleaning.
But as deals will, ours fell apart and we found ourselves decluttered and back in our old house. With fewer things, there was more room and so we moved my office/studio from the dim book-lined spare bedroom it had occupied to a larger space in our sunroom. Now I have windows and natural light and sometimes a dog or two at my feet. And nine guitars (you can take döstädning only so far).
Laptops and wi-fi mean I’ve no real need of a dedicated office space anymore; I can type anywhere in the house. But I work here mostly, in what amounts to a compact but fairly well equipped recording studio. This is where I write, and when I’m not writing, make up songs and record them. (And finally, after 40 years of playing, sometimes professionally, practice the first guitar lessons I’ve ever taken.) This is also where I do our taxes and drink coffee in the morning.
I was excited about moving last year — my father was in the military and we moved every few months during my childhood — but I’m happy things worked out as they did. In general, our house is very open — loft-like. Now I have my space and yet still feel part of the fray."
To celebrate Philip's new-ish “döstäd"-ned creative space, take 10% off his book through Friday 3/30/18 (with complimentary local delivery or free shipping) with code PRES10.
Philip and Karen Martin's pups enjoy the St. Pat's Parade. Dublin, left, has recently had a surgery to remove her eye due to glaucoma, but the Martin's fur kids are slowing for no one.
