5 famous writers who stood while they worked

That’s what study after study has said, and it’s inspired some people—even one of the tireless scribes at PR Daily headquarters—to stand while they work.

Standing to write is nothing new. Many famous authors penned their best works while vertical. Here are five of them and their ages when they died (or, in the case of a living writer, his current age).

1. Ernest Hemingway. The habit of standing to write is one that Hemingway “had from the beginning,” explained George Plimpton in an interview with the author. “He stands in a pair of his oversized loafers on the worn skin of a lesser kudu—the typewriter and the reading board chest-high opposite him … moving only to shift weight from one foot to another.” Hemingway was 61 when he committed suicide.

2. Vladimir Nabokov. The Russian author, who wrote books in both his native tongue and in English, not only stood while he worked, but also did his writing on index cards. Nabokov’s best-known work, Lolita, is ranked No. 4 in the list of the Modern Library 100 Best Novels. He lived to age 78.