A few weeks ago, Minnesota-based architect Amber Sausen was scrolling through her old iPhone photos when she found herself momentarily perplexed: “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t remember taking that at all. Huh. What was I thinking? What was I trying to memorialize in this photograph?’†But Sausen, an avid sketcher, says she’s … Continue reading Sketchbooks Help You Remember
I recently read an American classic that I’d never had to read in school: Babbitt, by Sinclair Lewis. In the first chapter, there is a description of the contents of Babbitt’s pockets, which includes this passage: Most significant of all was his loose-leaf pocket note-book, that modern and efficient note-book which contained the addresses of … Continue reading Babbitt’s Notebook
As I noted in my recent “using now” post, I tend to carry around a sketchbook and a journal, two separate notebooks. (And this year, I’ve added a third standalone notebook, a Nolty diary for logging, planning and lists.) There are a few reasons for this– paper type is a major one. I enjoy writing … Continue reading Public and Private Notebook Contents
From Walter Benjamin: 100 Notes, 100 Thoughts: In 1927, on the occasion of a several-months-long visit to Paris, Walter Benjamin began taking notes on the Parisian Arcades for his most ambitious book project…. With her introduction to a selection of these handwritten notes, Nikola Doll describes how the author attempted “to integrate the principle … Continue reading Walter Benjamin’s Notebook
Is there anyone who can resist a composition book? I can’t, even though in some ways they really don’t fit into my notebook usage patterns these days. They aren’t my favorite size, they aren’t my favorite shape, and it’s sometimes hard to find ones that aren’t wide-rule lined, but I love them anyway. I admire … Continue reading Review: Roaring Spring Composition Books
Some notebooks belonging to writer Susie Boyt: I have always kept notebooks – messy little attics of the mind, an odd assortment of shapes and colours stuffed into drawers next to defunct phones and balls of string. They feel private and tender, a bit like night clothes; or embarrassing, like over-eager little sisters. From an … Continue reading Susie Boyt’s Notebooks
Earlier this year, actor Douglas Taurel presented a one-man show based on the World War I diary of a soldier named Irving Greenwald, which is part of a collection at the Library of Congress. The diary itself is quite amazing: look at the tiny print squeezing all that text into pocket size pages! Read more … Continue reading Irving Greenwald’s World War I Diary
For fans of the Discworld series and Terry Pratchett‘s other books: Doodle-covered exercise books that belonged to a schoolboy Sir Terry Pratchett have come to light and reveal he already had many ideas for his early stories.They provide a fascinating, rare insight into the legendary late author’s creative process as he allowed his mind to … Continue reading Terry Pratchett’s School NotebooksÂ
I found this week’s addict via Pinterest, which linked back to her Flickr photos. As J. F. Penn, Joanna is a thriller writer. (Her books are described by readers as “Dan Brown meets Lara Croft.” Sounds fun!) As Joanna Penn, she has also published several how-to books about how to self-publish and market books, public … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: Joanna Penn
Some very intriguing notebook pages were sent to me by a reader named Khang, with this background information: A friend of mine recently sent me several notebooks entries written by Vietnamese and French soldiers aboard the Kilinski, a Polish cargoship. Following the end of fighting in 1954, the ship made trips between North and South … Continue reading Notebook Entries from French and Vietnamese Soldiers