Category Archives: Personal

A Chinese Diary, 1980

When I was about 8 years old, my grandmother took me to visit the office where she had formerly worked. One of her friends there took a liking to me, and for several years afterwards, we kept in touch through short cards and letters. A few years ago, the friend, whose name was Lucy, returned … Continue reading A Chinese Diary, 1980

Paper King Memo Book, late 1970s or early 1980s

Here’s a gem from the late ’70s/early ’80s. I love the simple cover design with the 25 cent price at the bottom. I wonder what ever happened to the Eastern Tablet company of Albany, NY. When you google it, not much comes up other than the obituaries of people who worked there at one time. … Continue reading Paper King Memo Book, late 1970s or early 1980s

Notebooks at Work

I’ve been thinking a lot about how people use notebooks at work. Yesterday’s post showed a few of Obama’s staff with notebooks among the tools of their trade. Certain professions use notebooks as a matter of course: reporters, for one. If you look at the Alwych website, they describe their notebooks as being used by … Continue reading Notebooks at Work

1980s Notebooks from My Collection

Here’s a few blank books from my childhood: Remember those Nothing Books? They were all the rage for a while. They sold them at a local bookstore and they became quite a fad at my school– kids mainly used them for autograph books, I think, where you’d just have your friends sign a page and … Continue reading 1980s Notebooks from My Collection

Moleskine Volant Notebooks

I bought a set of Moleskine Volant notebooks recently. I had ordered something else from Amazon and needed to tack something on to get that free shipping, so I figured what the heck! But now I’m not sure what to do with them! They’re nice notebooks– much more substantial than the Cahiers: sturdier, smoother cover … Continue reading Moleskine Volant Notebooks

Do You Remember Your First Notebook?

I don’t remember my first notebook, but my mother claims I was folding up pieces of paper into little books and carrying them around with me from at least the age of 3! Later, I remember having those little square datebooks that Hallmark shops used to give away for free–the ones that listed all the … Continue reading Do You Remember Your First Notebook?