Category Archives: Diary

Exhibition Featuring Henry David Thoreau’s Journals

This sounds like an interesting exhibit, at the Concord Museum in Massachusetts: This Ever New Self: Thoreau and His Journal. “The show centers on the journal Thoreau kept throughout his life and its importance in understanding the essential Thoreau. More than twenty of Thoreau’s journal notebooks are shown along with letters and manuscripts, books from … Continue reading Exhibition Featuring Henry David Thoreau’s Journals

What I’m Using Now

I did a long overdue update to my “Using Now” photo in the sidebar. My usage has actually been pretty consistent for the last few years, so it wasn’t all that out of date, but here’s the details on my routine notebook usage. Moleskine Pocket Squared– I almost always have one of these going as … Continue reading What I’m Using Now

Jibun Techo Planner

The Hobonichi Techo has become a cult favorite over the last few years, but it’s not the only Japanese planner system out there. I noticed the Jibun Techo at the Baum-kuchen website: “JIBUN TECHO will be a good fit for you if you: –manage your agenda with monthly/weekly but does not need a predated daily … Continue reading Jibun Techo Planner

Queen Victoria’s Urdu Notebook

You may have heard about the movie Victoria and Abdul, which stars Judi Dench as Queen Victoria, and Ali Fazal as a young Indian servant named Abdul Karim, whom she became close to. He taught her to speak and write in Urdu, which she practiced in notebooks such as the one below. Karim kept his … Continue reading Queen Victoria’s Urdu Notebook

Nomad Notebooks: Kickstarter Ending Soon!

Here’s a cool Kickstarter project that is ending on October 13, 2017: Nomad Notebooks. They still need about $9k to make their goal (as of this writing) and I hope they make it! The project involves the tried and true formula of 3-packs of pocket notebooks, but with a couple of twists: the notebooks are … Continue reading Nomad Notebooks: Kickstarter Ending Soon!

Writers on Keeping Diaries and Journals

Some great quotes about journal-keeping, from a variety of writers, including the ones below: “People who keep journals have life twice.” – Jessamyn West   “The diary taught me that it is in the moments of emotional crisis that human beings reveal themselves most accurately. I learned to choose the heightened moments because they are … Continue reading Writers on Keeping Diaries and Journals

Phil’s Stationery, NYC

Phil’s Stationery is a gem– assuming you like messy, dusty, old-school office supply stores, that is! I’d never heard of it until a few weeks ago when I happened to meet someone for lunch nearby and saw this amazing sign: There are so few stores like this left in NYC, especially in what must be … Continue reading Phil’s Stationery, NYC

Smelly Notebooks

Is smell ever a factor in your notebook usage? I’ve tested a few notebooks over the years that had distinctive odors, sometimes pleasant, sometimes not. When I reviewed the Rendr Sketchbook, one of the first things I noticed about it was a strong chemical smell, although it faded after unwrapping. One Moleskine I bought on … Continue reading Smelly Notebooks

Moleskine Monday: My Collection

I haven’t done many Moleskine Monday posts lately… and it’s been a while since I’ve updated you on my stash of spare Moleskines. For those who haven’t read other posts where I’ve talked about how I feel about the Moleskine brand, here’s an abbreviated version: Late 1990s/early 2000’s— not too long after Modo e Modo … Continue reading Moleskine Monday: My Collection

Notebook Addict of the Week: Amanda

This week’s addict emailed me the photo below and says: “In the interest of going through and minimizing clutter, I’ve put myself on a one year notebook buying moratorium. I won’t be parting with any of them, but won’t be adding anymore either. I use them for a variety of things- lists, journals, reminders, and … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: Amanda