One place I enjoy writing, especially in the early morning, is at my kitchen counter. And one reason I enjoy writing here is that a few feet away, facing me, is my classic Kit-Cat Klock, with its rhythmic eye movement and tail wagging, coupled with a gently mechanical sound, giving me a spark of joy in the morning.

The Kit-Cat Klock has a long history; it has been around since the 1930s. It’s become iconic, popping up in movies such as Robert Zemeckis’s Back To The Future and music videos such as Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” (It’s now such a piece of Americana, you can purchase it at the MOMA store.) 

But that’s not why I like it. I like it because of its cadence, its flow, its regularity. For me, it’s not just a clock; it’s a writing tool, a writing metronome.  

Thanks, Kit-Cat Klock, for bringing a little fun to my writing day!