A Novel Approach (To Me)

What you see before you is my obsession…Moleskine notebooks.  There was a time (not so long ago) that I didn’t know these notebooks existed (perish the thought!).  In my life, I have bought dozens of notebooks…usually of the gorgeous leather-bound and ridiculously pretentious sort. Some I’ve used and many I have not. Some of these notebooks (or journals) were just so lovely to look at that I couldn’t bear to soil them with my writing.  Which, of course, defeats the purpose of a journal or a notebook.

Then someone posted a recommendation online.  I followed the link and found out that Moleskine’s (or, to be more accurate, the notebooks that Moleskine’s were designed to replace) were the legendary notebooks used by Hemingway, Picasso and Chatwin.  I was intrigued. One purchase was all it took.  I was in love.  The quality is excellent and the notebooks are a lesson in simplicity.  Quality paper bound in a hard cover (great for writing on the run) with a ribbon to quickly find your spot and an elastic band to keep it closed.  In the back cover is a small expandable envelope.  The design is minimalist and brilliant.  These are notebooks designed for creativity.  I have no qualms about writing in them and so they are filled with hen-scratch that only I doubt anyone but me can understand.

My current red Moleskine was a stretch. Considering that I was used to black, the new red notebook seemed so outrageous. Living on the edge…it’s the story of my life (can you hear the sarcasm?). I’m about 1/4 of the way through and am never parted from it…it’s handy even when I’m in the bathtub (where some of my best thinking happens). I love that it fits perfectly into my purse.

I always have a new Moleskine on hand so that when I come to the end of one, I’m not madly dashing to buy another. I’ll be moving back to a black notebook and am going to try their new soft cover version.  I’m not sure what I’ll think.  I expect that it is easier to write in the hard cover version, but I guess I’ll soon find out.