I keep a notebook at my desk where I write down little fragments throughout the day. People I see on my way to work, things I read online, ideas, etc. Only a tiny portion of my notes end up in an essay or a poem. Some notes begin to coalesce around a theme, like people I see eating lunch alone in a restaurant (a thing I rarely do, which I therefore find fascinating). Sometimes it feels compulsive. I do see it as a practice that is based in love--cultivating a love of time, space, and life. Thanks for sharing these other practices. I want to get a topcoat so I can "stalk around like a wild thinker" with Kerouac.
I don’t know what the most important kind of love is, but I know I do feel it in many other forms other than romantic love. The love I feel for my children, my parents, my friends, my friends’ children, my dog and cats. It’s breathtaking when I think about it all!
I love the idea of note-taking itself as an act of devotion, even love. Maybe that's why I've come up with my crazy scheme of giving away 50 handmade notebooks for Valentine's Day! 💝
Thanks for posting this. I'm struck by the last line from Kerouac: "I've never written a decent line in a library." I can imagine his mind was bouncing around so much with all the great literary works around that he couldn't focus? Or the madmen were too distracting? This is why I write in graveyards.
I love that last line. I also wonder if the library was too structured for Kerouac, with its opening and closing times. I don't know if he tried writing in graveyards, but I imagine it might have worked for him.
If "Attention is the beginning of devotion." Then perpetual attention becomes a love habit. lol! Kerouac's notes on being in the NYPL and feeling like the cultural/literary elite resonates with me.
I enjoyed your love letter to a library. I was incredibly fortunate MANY YEARS ago to manage a part of a project in Washington DC to modernize the US Mint. Lotsa travel to DC and going on tours here and there was always the best way to spend time. I had a relation by marriage who was on staff for a US Senator and she knew the ins and outs of arranging tours. The Library of Congress was one of the best tours of all. The way you write about these sorts of things is special. I'm glad I get to follow along.
The NYPL still remains on my bucket list...one of these days.
There is a lot to see in DC. The LOC is just amazing!!!
RE: NYPL We were there when I was a young kid the first time. I only cared about snow cones in those days. I've been past it a number of times since. I went in once briefly. I REALLY NEED A TOUR.
There is so much beauty in the handwritten word. I worry so much that we are forsaking the recording of our time in history for a digital footprint that may or not exist in the future. Bring back the art of the handwritten letter, of the timeless piece of us that we give to others to be found by future generations so they can marvel at how simply we lived.
Jillian, since you’ve realized there is no need to rank all the loves, how about reframing your feelings about winter from “ my least favorite season,” to “my fourth favorite season?” And, really, what better time to be in a library than winter?
Oooo--I absolutely love this reframing! And, it is true. I do love reading and writing in the Winter, which I will henceforth refer to as my "fourth favorite season"!
I have to add my love of writing … which starts with the notes, the ideas, the tentative scribbles that leap off the notebook page and into what Anne Lamott calls ‘the shitty first draft’. The careful snipping and trimming, the words added, words subtracted (the only maths I ever got on with!), the honing, chiselling and sandpapering. Love LOVE the process of writing.
As you can probably tell from my childish delight, I am rather giddily into the process of rewriting, from scratch, my dystopian tale! Notes have been made!
I love this collection of love notes, and can’t decide which I love most.
Here is something I copied some time ago because this man was going into conflict zones and places of suffering to care for animals, and I loved him for that.
"We go to places where the logic doesn't exist," Khalil told NPR last year. "The government doesn't exist. No one cares. And where no one will believe you are coming to save animals."
I couldn't agree with you more about the love/hate relationship with NYC. Yesterday, I had an I LOVE NEW YORK day and it was glorious. Kerouac's notes on NYPL were exquisite and spot on. I feel wickedly sharp and bonita when Im there. 💗 Happy Valentine's Day, Jillian! I loved this one and I LOVE Noted!!!!
I love these love notes. It makes me want to write a love letter to so many things out there in the world...(and I'm with you, Winter is hard, but I know there is also beauty...)
I keep a notebook at my desk where I write down little fragments throughout the day. People I see on my way to work, things I read online, ideas, etc. Only a tiny portion of my notes end up in an essay or a poem. Some notes begin to coalesce around a theme, like people I see eating lunch alone in a restaurant (a thing I rarely do, which I therefore find fascinating). Sometimes it feels compulsive. I do see it as a practice that is based in love--cultivating a love of time, space, and life. Thanks for sharing these other practices. I want to get a topcoat so I can "stalk around like a wild thinker" with Kerouac.
I imagine you must be compiling a fascinating collection! The topcoat would just be icing on the cake ;)
So envious of this practice!
You had me at "Dare I say, it might not even be the most important kind of love" and yes I wholeheartedly agree. 💛
Thanks, Jordan! 💛
I don’t know what the most important kind of love is, but I know I do feel it in many other forms other than romantic love. The love I feel for my children, my parents, my friends, my friends’ children, my dog and cats. It’s breathtaking when I think about it all!
It really is breathtaking! And, as far as I'm concerned, there's no need to rank all the loves!
I love the idea of note-taking itself as an act of devotion, even love. Maybe that's why I've come up with my crazy scheme of giving away 50 handmade notebooks for Valentine's Day! 💝
I know--I couldn't possibly make 50 notebooks in a month. That's a lot of devotion!
Thanks for posting this. I'm struck by the last line from Kerouac: "I've never written a decent line in a library." I can imagine his mind was bouncing around so much with all the great literary works around that he couldn't focus? Or the madmen were too distracting? This is why I write in graveyards.
There’s the story right there, Tom … “this is why I write in graveyards”!
I love that last line. I also wonder if the library was too structured for Kerouac, with its opening and closing times. I don't know if he tried writing in graveyards, but I imagine it might have worked for him.
I was surprised at how neat Jack Kerouac's handwriting is. Mine is a poor comparison.
I was delighted that it was so easy to read! Makes my life much easier.
If "Attention is the beginning of devotion." Then perpetual attention becomes a love habit. lol! Kerouac's notes on being in the NYPL and feeling like the cultural/literary elite resonates with me.
I love thinking of attention as a kind of habit.
Me too! Gonna put "Paying Attention to ..." on my Atomic Habits Tracker!
I 💛 all of this, but particularly your photograph of the beautiful Cali 😍
Oh, thank you, Victoria! I’m such a proud cat-mama!
I enjoyed your love letter to a library. I was incredibly fortunate MANY YEARS ago to manage a part of a project in Washington DC to modernize the US Mint. Lotsa travel to DC and going on tours here and there was always the best way to spend time. I had a relation by marriage who was on staff for a US Senator and she knew the ins and outs of arranging tours. The Library of Congress was one of the best tours of all. The way you write about these sorts of things is special. I'm glad I get to follow along.
The NYPL still remains on my bucket list...one of these days.
I've done research at the Library of Congress twice now, and it's one of the loveliest places! I hope you make it to the NYPL someday!
RE: LOC:
There is a lot to see in DC. The LOC is just amazing!!!
RE: NYPL We were there when I was a young kid the first time. I only cared about snow cones in those days. I've been past it a number of times since. I went in once briefly. I REALLY NEED A TOUR.
There is so much beauty in the handwritten word. I worry so much that we are forsaking the recording of our time in history for a digital footprint that may or not exist in the future. Bring back the art of the handwritten letter, of the timeless piece of us that we give to others to be found by future generations so they can marvel at how simply we lived.
I completely agree. Handwriting is so simple and yet so powerful.
Jillian, since you’ve realized there is no need to rank all the loves, how about reframing your feelings about winter from “ my least favorite season,” to “my fourth favorite season?” And, really, what better time to be in a library than winter?
Oooo--I absolutely love this reframing! And, it is true. I do love reading and writing in the Winter, which I will henceforth refer to as my "fourth favorite season"!
I have to add my love of writing … which starts with the notes, the ideas, the tentative scribbles that leap off the notebook page and into what Anne Lamott calls ‘the shitty first draft’. The careful snipping and trimming, the words added, words subtracted (the only maths I ever got on with!), the honing, chiselling and sandpapering. Love LOVE the process of writing.
I completely agree. I am happiest when I'm deep in a draft (even a shitty one).
As you can probably tell from my childish delight, I am rather giddily into the process of rewriting, from scratch, my dystopian tale! Notes have been made!
I love this collection of love notes, and can’t decide which I love most.
Here is something I copied some time ago because this man was going into conflict zones and places of suffering to care for animals, and I loved him for that.
"We go to places where the logic doesn't exist," Khalil told NPR last year. "The government doesn't exist. No one cares. And where no one will believe you are coming to save animals."
I love how we can love strangers.
I couldn't agree with you more about the love/hate relationship with NYC. Yesterday, I had an I LOVE NEW YORK day and it was glorious. Kerouac's notes on NYPL were exquisite and spot on. I feel wickedly sharp and bonita when Im there. 💗 Happy Valentine's Day, Jillian! I loved this one and I LOVE Noted!!!!
I'm so glad you agree! I went to the NYPL today and I felt like a very sophisticated New Yorker😂 Happy Valentine's day to you too Jenovia!
💌💘
Oooooh, I love this!! Thank you for responding to my animal query with the extraordinary Rachel Carson and Jane Goodall!!
I love this: "Insect voices probably the first ever heard on earth"!! Nothing calms my nervous system like the song of crickets!!
And I LOVE Cali's sweet face! ❤️
Ah, the sound of crickets reminds me of summer--something I'm longing for right now!
I knooooooow! Me, too!
I love these love notes. It makes me want to write a love letter to so many things out there in the world...(and I'm with you, Winter is hard, but I know there is also beauty...)
There's so much to love! Even in Winter!