This is brilliant - Petrarch is the OG humblebragger. Performative productivity has a long and rich history :)
Also got me thinking about that idea of having a first and second sleep. So whether Petrarch went back to bed after his first session at midnight. Segmented sleep was much discussed a few years back, seen as a medieval norm.
And I'll be emailing you about possible speaking opportunities...
I go to sleep late between 12-2am and I usually get up early between 6-7 but usually take a nap from 2-3 when I have lost mental acuity. I treat my after nap time like a new morning. That way I feel like I am working 2 days everyday.
I like this approach! When I was doing interviews for my first book, the novelist Nicholson Baker told me he did something similar. At the time (this was in 2010), he would get up at 4:00 or 4:30 a.m., write for 90ish minutes, then go back to bed and get up again around 8:30 a.m., thus squeezing two mornings out of one day.
Yes, I've read a bit about segmented sleep! Pretty fascinating. And looking forward to your email. Trying to get better about putting myself out there (and not just in terms of performative productivity!)
Well, crap. Always a disciplined twit to harsh my vibe. I love sleep. More than that, I love what I call productive nothing, maybe because I do so little of it. Nothing makes me happier than an unplanned day in which I manage to do a lot but never feel rushed or obligated to do anything. If I'm lucky, I get a couple of those a year. Ideally, I'd sleep until 8:00 and turn in around midnight. Guess ol' Petrarch and I would not have been good friends, but we would have been a perfect pair for guarding the castle. That is, until my mind wandered off. 😂
I typically wake up between midnight and one. I set an alarm for this. I like the quiet and the dark. I hate noise. I like writing when the city sleeps, though sometimes I just end up reading for three hours and then taking a nap. I've kept this schedule for nearly four years. I always take a nap before dawn breaks, at least an hour. Yes, I am always tired. I hate sleep almost as much as I hate noise. Both are disruptive.
Wow, I'm fascinated. I can relate to that feeling of savoring the quiet and the dark — there's something really special about being awake when everyone else is asleep. But I hate being tired all day... I guess it's worth it to you, though?
You're making me think of what my ideal sleep schedule would be. Maybe midnight-to-4am + noon-to-4pm. Then I could stay up late *and* get up super early, skip the afternoon blahs and wake up in time for happy hour.
Worth it? Ehh . . . I don't know anymore. I do, however, greatly enjoy being awake at that time, especially because I live in a downtown area and am easily distracted by noise. If I lived out in the woods or someplace much quieter, I might not keep such odd hours.
It's just after five here on the East Coast, nearly my bedtime.
What really throws me off is when I have my daughter. I try to keep my usual routine then and end up getting even less sleep. I don't remember the last time I slept for more than four consecutive hours. I typically sleep three hours, am awake for three or four, then sleep another three hours. Sometimes I do it in thirds. My life is a series of naps. But I find I write better, sometimes, after a little sleep, just a little. It's like reseting my brain. I get wound up sometimes when writing, so much so that I get overwhelmed by the words when revising and start bouncing around the page, almost as if I were on Ritalin—minus the focus.
Thanks! I really love that fresco of Petrarch at his desk, with his little reading stand, and that circular book turret-stand (?) . . . and the dog curled up on the floor! A portrait of the good life.
It's so funny to read Petrarch's antagonism towards sleep! (I personally love sleeping…)
Overall, loved this post! Especially loved this description of how reading & writing contribute to happiness in life: "I am well and happy, and I refuse those concerns that make so many unhappy.…whether in the fields or in the house I am busy thinking, reading, writing."
Sleep and I often part company at midnight too, but then I spend the next six hours flipping the pillow thinking about how tired I'm going to be the next day. Maybe I should try to find a horse. Great post as always!
Hey Rob, thanks for the kind words. Do you ever try to read or write or do other "productive" activities during those no-sleep hours? Flipping the pillow and worrying about the next day is so miserable, I've been there too.
This is brilliant - Petrarch is the OG humblebragger. Performative productivity has a long and rich history :)
Also got me thinking about that idea of having a first and second sleep. So whether Petrarch went back to bed after his first session at midnight. Segmented sleep was much discussed a few years back, seen as a medieval norm.
And I'll be emailing you about possible speaking opportunities...
I go to sleep late between 12-2am and I usually get up early between 6-7 but usually take a nap from 2-3 when I have lost mental acuity. I treat my after nap time like a new morning. That way I feel like I am working 2 days everyday.
I like this approach! When I was doing interviews for my first book, the novelist Nicholson Baker told me he did something similar. At the time (this was in 2010), he would get up at 4:00 or 4:30 a.m., write for 90ish minutes, then go back to bed and get up again around 8:30 a.m., thus squeezing two mornings out of one day.
Yes, I've read a bit about segmented sleep! Pretty fascinating. And looking forward to your email. Trying to get better about putting myself out there (and not just in terms of performative productivity!)
Greatest photo captions…so good!
Thanks, Christian!
Well, crap. Always a disciplined twit to harsh my vibe. I love sleep. More than that, I love what I call productive nothing, maybe because I do so little of it. Nothing makes me happier than an unplanned day in which I manage to do a lot but never feel rushed or obligated to do anything. If I'm lucky, I get a couple of those a year. Ideally, I'd sleep until 8:00 and turn in around midnight. Guess ol' Petrarch and I would not have been good friends, but we would have been a perfect pair for guarding the castle. That is, until my mind wandered off. 😂
I typically wake up between midnight and one. I set an alarm for this. I like the quiet and the dark. I hate noise. I like writing when the city sleeps, though sometimes I just end up reading for three hours and then taking a nap. I've kept this schedule for nearly four years. I always take a nap before dawn breaks, at least an hour. Yes, I am always tired. I hate sleep almost as much as I hate noise. Both are disruptive.
Wow, I'm fascinated. I can relate to that feeling of savoring the quiet and the dark — there's something really special about being awake when everyone else is asleep. But I hate being tired all day... I guess it's worth it to you, though?
You're making me think of what my ideal sleep schedule would be. Maybe midnight-to-4am + noon-to-4pm. Then I could stay up late *and* get up super early, skip the afternoon blahs and wake up in time for happy hour.
Worth it? Ehh . . . I don't know anymore. I do, however, greatly enjoy being awake at that time, especially because I live in a downtown area and am easily distracted by noise. If I lived out in the woods or someplace much quieter, I might not keep such odd hours.
It's just after five here on the East Coast, nearly my bedtime.
What really throws me off is when I have my daughter. I try to keep my usual routine then and end up getting even less sleep. I don't remember the last time I slept for more than four consecutive hours. I typically sleep three hours, am awake for three or four, then sleep another three hours. Sometimes I do it in thirds. My life is a series of naps. But I find I write better, sometimes, after a little sleep, just a little. It's like reseting my brain. I get wound up sometimes when writing, so much so that I get overwhelmed by the words when revising and start bouncing around the page, almost as if I were on Ritalin—minus the focus.
“But I find I write better, sometimes, after a little sleep, just a little. It's like reseting my brain.”
Yes, same here! Would like to get better at quick naps for this reason, but it’s not my specialty…
Thanks for this as a confirmed, lifelong night owl I am actually going to give thought to waking up at midnight, ha, sounds like a plan!
dictating stories on his iphone while driving in his car ... like everyone else !
Haha, yes!
So what time was his bedtime?
That’s my question! I couldn’t find any mention of it, sorry to say. 😓
I really enjoyed this. Thank you for sharing it Mason.
Thanks, Steve, appreciate it!
I'm marveling at the portraits of this crazy workaholic! All very beautiful in their own way 👀
Thanks! I really love that fresco of Petrarch at his desk, with his little reading stand, and that circular book turret-stand (?) . . . and the dog curled up on the floor! A portrait of the good life.
I'm partial to the clothing. I'm thinking it's time for floor-length robes with close-fitting hoods to make a comeback.
I do love a good uniform! Could also be useful for distinguishing writers/artists from the general population, when we do venture outside.
Oooh, you sure we should be that easy to pick out? 😬
Haha
It's so funny to read Petrarch's antagonism towards sleep! (I personally love sleeping…)
Overall, loved this post! Especially loved this description of how reading & writing contribute to happiness in life: "I am well and happy, and I refuse those concerns that make so many unhappy.…whether in the fields or in the house I am busy thinking, reading, writing."
Yes! Did you see the movie Perfect Days? Petrarch seems similar to that character (except without the day job).
Also: Sleep 🤝 Me
Sleep and I often part company at midnight too, but then I spend the next six hours flipping the pillow thinking about how tired I'm going to be the next day. Maybe I should try to find a horse. Great post as always!
Hey Rob, thanks for the kind words. Do you ever try to read or write or do other "productive" activities during those no-sleep hours? Flipping the pillow and worrying about the next day is so miserable, I've been there too.
No, I always convince myself I will fall back asleep. If that happens though, it's usually about 12 minutes before I need to wake up.
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. Proverbs 20:13
More and more I feel like . . . everyone who is interesting is also a little weird? (Or a lot weird.) Glad you enjoyed this one!