I just got an office a couple of years ago—I fixed up a small space in my apartment—and I am still pretty excited about it. I’ve surrounded myself with mementos of work I’ve done and photographs of people I love.
Just next to the door is the sign from the bookstore (The Shop Around the Corner) in You’ve Got Mail. And there is also a big poster I treasure from Love, Loss, and What I Wore, which is signed by every actor who performed it off-Broadway—about 120. Lying on the desk is Pluto, a stuffed animal given to me when I was born. His head is nearly disconnected from his body, so he no longer sits upright. He is propped up by a Michelin guide to Italy.
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Mostly this small cozy room consists of a wrap-around desk and a wrap-around tack board. You can see it’s a big mess. There are random photos of my husband, my sisters, friends. On the big board, I always have images of what I’m working on to inspire me. Siracusa has been sold to film. I’m writing the screenplay now, so I have photos of Siracusa on the wall, of the ancient tattered buildings and the giant boulder, Lo Scoglio, where everyone goes to swim and sunbathe. It’s so important to remind myself of what Siracusa looks and feels like. I have also been working on a pilot about game shows in the 1990s, so there are some tabloids from that time that published stories about the models who co-hosted or were featured alongside the prizes. Usually, I give one bookshelf over to a project to keep all my research in one place.
My dog Honey keeps me company while I write. You might notice from the photo she badly needs a bath. I’m going to put her in the bathtub right now.
Images courtesy of Delia Ephron
Author Photo: © Elena Seibert
