An Author's Life a Century Ago...don't forget to wipe the table...

How so very different most writers work today, especially women!

Here's a peek at how Joseph Conrad began his literary career, from Garrison Keillor's Writers' Almanac:

In the fall of 1889, Conrad settled in London for a few months. One morning, after he finished his breakfast, he told his maid to clear away all the dishes immediately. Normally, he would sit by the window and read from a book by Dickens or Hugo or Shakespeare.