In his wonderfully messy office, David Grann knows about stumbling on something wonderful

“I always find there’s a kind of serendipity to research. I’m a generalist, so one of the things that compels me to a story is addressing my own ignorance.”
— David Grann

I came across this quote in an interview with the writer David Grann, specifically about his wonderful 2023 book The Wager. The full answer gets into how he worked the archives, looking for details on a broad subject (naval history) he at first did not know much about.

Grann, a staff writer for The New Yorker, has written several books now on highly different subjects. Having read and enjoyed others, including Killers of the Flower Moon and The Devil and Sherlock Holmes, I’d be inclined to read anything that catches his interest in the archives.

By the way, take a look at the photo of that office.

How refreshing — if not inspiring — it is to see a writer in an actual working space, rather than a manicured, pristine backdrop.

Writing often involves reading, and thinking, and busily moving about in a narrative even if you do not leave the room.

I’m practically relieved to see someone else piling books up on the floor!