# The shed in which David McCullough does his writing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532 "2016-11-03T15:10:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/1 "2016-11-03T15:10:07Z")
[http://www.philipvickersfithian.com/2012/02/david-mcculloughs-writing-shed.html](http://www.philipvickersfithian.com/2012/02/david-mcculloughs-writing-shed.html) > **[David McCullough: shedworker](https://www.shedworking.co.uk/2012/02/david-mccullough-shedworker.html)** > > A blog about the lifestyle of shedworkers and those who work from garden offices and other shedlike atmospheres [http://old.post-gazette.com/books/20011230mccullough1230fnp2.asp](http://old.post-gazette.com/books/20011230mccullough1230fnp2.asp) A good man, a talented historian and a tiny little writing space! ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/2 "2016-11-03T16:10:10Z")
I wonder if he’s thinking about getting another shed… ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/3 "2016-11-03T16:16:47Z")
Please don’t think I’m not your sort You’ll find that sheds are nicer than you thought. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/4 "2016-11-03T16:19:12Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I wonder if he’s thinking about getting another shed… Would he be getting the second shed specifically to write in? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/5 "2016-11-03T16:52:09Z")
Actually, the additional shed isn’t that important. Did you read his latest historical book… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/6 "2016-11-03T17:19:31Z")
Just don’t call him David “Two Sheds” McCullough. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HLjS3gzHetA/hqdefault.jpg "Monty Python - Arthur 'Two Sheds' Jackson") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLjS3gzHetA) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/7 "2016-11-03T17:34:56Z")
Reminds me of Charles Dickens, who wrote in a tiny chalet behind his house. [![](https://www.rochesterdickensfestival.org.uk/images/swiss_chalet/swiss_chalet.jpg) ](https://www.rochesterdickensfestival.org.uk/images/swiss_chalet/swiss_chalet.jpg) Or Mark Twain, who favored an enclosed gazebo at his summer house. [![](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c6/ed/d5/c6edd52ea162229fd3e1776c76f3ce84.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c6/ed/d5/c6edd52ea162229fd3e1776c76f3ce84.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/8 "2016-11-03T17:42:01Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Actually, the additional shed isn’t that important. Did you read his latest historical book… So there IS an additional shed then? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/9 "2016-11-03T17:45:26Z")
The words are too big and there are too many of them. Best to trap them in a small room surrounded with other words. All the better to force them to paper. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/10 "2016-11-03T18:24:28Z")
It looks pretty practical, but if it was me, I’d at least have a toilet and fridge. ---
**Author:** ![Wednesday\_Evening](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Wednesday\_Evening](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wednesday_Evening)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/11 "2016-11-03T19:59:59Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Just don’t call him David “Two Sheds” McCullough. If he gets rid of the shed he’ll be David “No Sheds” McCullough. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/12 "2016-11-03T22:26:42Z")
Gustav Mahler had THREE SEPARATE SHEDS for composing! I’ve visited the one on the north shore of the Worthersee in southern Austria, near his country house. It had a cute lil’ outhouse about 50 feet away, where he took D Major dumps! > **[Inside Mahler's composing hut (video)](https://www.shedworking.co.uk/2011/02/inside-mahlers-composing-hut-video.html)** > > A blog about the lifestyle of shedworkers and those who work from garden offices and other shedlike atmospheres (Link to a “lifestyle guide to shedworkers since 2006,” which is hilarious) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/13 "2016-11-03T22:32:52Z")
That’s why Richard Strauss and the boys down at the piano shop always called him Gus “Drei Schuppen” Mahler. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/14 "2016-11-03T22:37:31Z")
Roald Dahl also had a writing shed. Hemingway favored the room above the garage. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/15 "2016-11-03T23:30:54Z")
Get your own arts program, you fairy! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/16 "2016-11-04T00:01:29Z")
I’m pretty sure E.B. White wrote _Charlotte’s Web_ in a shed in Brooklin, Maine. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/17 "2016-11-04T04:09:41Z")
They say Dylan Thomas was kind of sheddy: [Dylan Thomas’s Writing Shed in Laugharne](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/wales-dylan-thomas/10782478/dylan-thomas-writing-shed.html) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shed-in-which-david-mccullough-does-his-writing/770532/18 "2016-11-04T04:14:19Z")
Stephen King’s early writing was in a tiny furnace room of the mobile home he and his wife were renting.