The diaries of Patricia Highsmith (author of many books, including Strangers on a Train, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and The Price of Salt, the basis for the movie Carol) are being released by her estate, for publication in a book. The diaries, which Liveright Publishing plans to release in the United States in 2021 as … Continue reading Patricia Highsmith’s Diaries
Let’s say you’re packing for a short trip. Like, just a long weekend. In your own country, in an area with plenty of stores where you could conceivably buy any of the widely-available brands of notebooks. Maybe even in an area with a few cool gift stores that stock cute upscale Japanese notebooks. And let’s … Continue reading When Do You Get Nervous?
A lot of professional athletes seem to keep notebooks to track their successes and failures, their physical conditioning, diet and motivational strategies. Often, I want to share these stories but there isn’t much detail and the article lacks a photo of the notebook. But here’s one that’s a bit more satisfying! Before every game, one … Continue reading Adam Ottavino’s Notebook
Every once in a while, I get this weird impulse to search for vintage Filofaxes on eBay. I bought one about a year ago and haven’t gotten around to reviewing (or using) it yet. In fact, I haven’t used a Filofax actively in at least 15 years. But I still love them, and as with … Continue reading Vintage Pocket Filofax on eBay
A very poignant article from the Sept. 1, 2019 New York Times: Waiting for the Monsoon, Discovering a Brain Tumor Instead. The photo of reporter Rod Nordland’s journal was what caught my eye, but the whole story is well worth reading. A few brief excerpts below, focusing, of course, on the journal, though there is … Continue reading A Journalist’s Monsoon Journal
Many people have the problem of loving notebooks but not knowing how to fill them, as described in this article by Claire Swinarski: As a writer, I’m often gifted journals. I’m also a total sucker for beautiful notebooks and can spend way too long perusing the paper section at Target. That means I’m the owner … Continue reading What if You Love Journals but Hate Journaling?
I’ve written before about French fashionista Ines de la Fressange and her love of notebooks. Now she’s selling notebooks of her own design: You can see additional designs at her online shop: Ines de la Fressange
I don’t remember where I first came across the work of André Mare. He was a French artist who was associated with the Cubism and Art Deco movements, and his World War I sketchbooks are quite remarkable. No discussion about Cubism can be complete without at least some mention of André Mare. Yet even in conversations … Continue reading André Mare’s Sketchbooks
One of these days, I will use one of the Paperblanks notebooks I’ve been hoarding. I have a few of them that I’ve picked up over the years (usually during a once a year visit to a wonderful little bookshop in Lewes, Delaware called Biblion), and I’m always very impressed by their quality. I’m also … Continue reading Paperblanks Nova Stella Solis Notebook Review
I found this image on the School of Visual Arts website, as part of a feature on artists’ journals. Carl Titolo teaches at SVA and has been keeping sketchbooks for over 50 years. I love the dense pages full of patterns and details. It’s also interesting to see that at least in this case, he … Continue reading Carl Titolo’s Sketchbook