
The Desk of Haruki Murakami - samclemens
http://www.harukimurakami.com/author
======
asb
It's a fun contrast to the desk of the late Jim Williams:

[http://m.eet.com/media/1116686/williams%20desk.jpg](http://m.eet.com/media/1116686/williams%20desk.jpg)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Williams_%28analog_designe...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Williams_%28analog_designer%29)

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axx
Is there some kind of website where people can upload their office/desk
pictures including better descriptions (like those plus-icons) and a little
Text?

I don't know why, but to me it's motivating and just interresting to see how
other people work. And i don't mean websites presenting huge offices of big
companies. I mean homeoffices etc. A few years ago this was really big on
Flickr, but since "nobody" is really active on Flickr anymore, i feel like
those days are gone.

I bet there is a good number of interesting peoples workplaces to look at. :)

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mbil
It's not exactly what you described, but you may like
reddit.com/r/battlestations

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axx
It's close! I know that subreddit, but it's too much hardware-related.
/r/macsetups is the same.

For me it's more about the workplace in combination with the people that work
there.

I mean a combination of those subreddits and a site like usesthis.com with the
possibility to mark items on pictures.

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jeffbr13
There's the LifeHacker workspace show-and-tell group on Flickr:
[https://www.flickr.com/groups/lifehacker-workspace-
showandte...](https://www.flickr.com/groups/lifehacker-workspace-showandtell/)

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martijn_himself
I really like Murakami's work- my favourite is 'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle'.
But I've just finished reading 'Kafka on the Shore' and came away thinking it
was too much fantasy and a bit shallow. Because of his masterful style he
sometimes gets away with unresolved plots and mysteries but this was just too
much.

I like magical realism though. Any recommendations for other writers?

~~~
edanm
Interesting, I've only read 'Kafka on the Shore' and haven't read another
Murakami because I didn't connect with it _at all_. Maybe I should try 'The
Wind-up Bird Chronicle'?

~~~
martijn_himself
Definitely try 'The Wind-up Bird Chronicle', I think it is regarded as one of
his best works although it is a bit slower paced.

For me 'Kafka on the Shore' contained a bit too many magical events that were
then left unexplained and unexplored- but I didn't think it was bad at all.

The other novel I really liked was the 1Q84 trilogy.

~~~
mring33621
I would start with Wild Sheep Chase (an unusual quest/adventure story) or Hard
Boiled Wonderland (a bit of Lovecraft meets P.K. Dick). Wind-up Bird is
slower, a bit graphic and less fun.

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icanhackit
Note that it's vinyl on his shelves, not books. Safe to say nearly all of it
is jazz. Nice loudspeaker in the corner too. When you love music you play it
loud so you can be more immersed in it rather than have something merely in
the background.

~~~
jzzskijj
Yes, Murakami is indeed avid record collector.

"In a 2011 New York Times article, Murakami estimated that he owns 10,000
records, but says he was afraid to count."

[http://theweek.com/articles/444246/literary-playlist-
guide-m...](http://theweek.com/articles/444246/literary-playlist-guide-music-
haruki-murakami)

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Gys
I hope one day my desk will make it to HN frontpage ;-) By then I am sure it
will be just as tidy as Haruki's desk

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brillenfux
So everything looks neat, but he's twisting his back to look at the monitor?

Of course it's a Mac ;-)

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tempestn
I thought that too, but it looks like it would be pretty easy to slide over
behind the keyboard for serious use. Maybe that's what he does. (Although I do
know people who work crooked like that all the time!)

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amykhar
I think having the monitor off to the side and not behind the keyboard and
mouse would make my neck hurt. But, it's a gorgeous desk.

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Rainymood
I can't view these images in China, is there anyone that kind to upload them
to another host: say imgur?

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pyvek
Here ya go – [http://imgur.com/a/XzWG0](http://imgur.com/a/XzWG0)

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Rainymood
Thanks a lot!

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tblomseth
Also note, Murakami-san has the only pencil eraser worth even considering
using: the Staedtler Mars® plastic 526 50.

~~~
solaris999
You're missing out on the Seed Radar:
[http://www.seedr.co.jp/en/eraser.html](http://www.seedr.co.jp/en/eraser.html)

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preek
One speaker looks like a Geneva Model XL[1]. I really like the Geneva speakers
- I have a Model M and XS.

1\. [http://www.genevalab.com/sound/ch_de/genevasound-xl-
wireless...](http://www.genevalab.com/sound/ch_de/genevasound-xl-wireless/)

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mhd
I'd really like to know more about the _other_ desktop, i.e. what software he
uses (both to actually write and collect thoughts/infos). Writers tend to
differ a lot there, with some just using the newest Word, some keeping around
ancient copies of WordStar and some even using Emacs...

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andy_ppp
Those speakers look super high end... I'd be more interested in the Hifi he
and the records than his rather dull desk!

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molly0
There is nothing indicating that he likes to run. Is he still running
marathons?

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anentropic
pretty much my dream office

~~~
TurboHaskal
How come?

That's hardly an office but a living room with sub-par ergonomics when it
comes to getting work done.

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sleepyhead
> sub-par ergonomics

uh, you can't even see what type of chair he uses.

> hardly an office

So to be an office there is some strict requirements that it has to fulfil?
I'll tell the local startup incubator in Phnom Penh where developers sat
outside in 40c on wooden benches (with plastic container over power outlet for
protection on rainy days) because the few rooms inside were occupied (no a/c).

~~~
TurboHaskal
I don't even need to see the chair. Just the mere positioning of the screen
makes me cringe.

The article mentions vinyl records, a coffe mug, a baseball figurine... That's
hardly the kind of equipment that comes to my mind when I think of an office.
How does it make it a dream office when the only relevant material mentioned
are a bunch of pencils?

This is just some guy showing off his music collection.

~~~
moron4hire
How are the albums, coffee mug, and baseball figurines _not_ relevant material
to a creative worker?

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Jtsummers
Or even to non-creative workers that have to spend 1/3 their life in that
space. You want it to be comfortable. Either by literal ergonomic comfort, or
by the creature comforts of the familiar and pleasing.

