On working in coffeeshops

"In your working conditions avoid everyday mediocrity. Semi-relaxation, to a background of insipid sounds, is degrading. On the other hand, accompaniment by an étude or a cacophony of voices can become as significant for work as the perceptible silence of the night. If the latter sharpens the inner ear, the former acts as a touchstone for a diction ample enough to bury even the most wayward sounds."
-Walter Benjamin, "Post No Bills: The Writer's Technique in Thirteen Theses."

(Thanks to VZ for the tip-off.)