Thursday, October 2, 2008

Moleskine Madness

On Wednesdays I have lunch with my friend Alice. Yesterday, we sat in the quad talking about anything and everything. She's a fiction writer, so naturally (as we always do) we began to talk about our writing endeavors.

She told me how her fiction writing professor suggested she befriend everyone in her class since in the future, they will be the ones to write on the back of her book when she gets published. How true is that? She then made me promise I'd write on the back of her future book. I told her it'd be an honor.

I began to tell her about a tree I saw while waiting for my train at my Lake Forest station. This tree had luscious, green leaves save for the very top. The top (and only the top) of this tree was stained plum. I stared at it, mesmerized, what a sight. I had to write down my thoughts, needed to write down this image.

In a rush to get out the door, I had left my notebook in my bedroom. Frantically searching for anything other than a receipt to write on, I resorted to having to jot down these lines onto the front page of my Tribune. I told her this and she laughed in response. She then told me that she used to write in the margins of her assignment notebook, or anything she could get her hands on, that is of course, until she received her very own Moleskine.

So for those of you that don't know me, I tend to get paranoid about the randomest things. While talking to Alice, I knew I needed to buy a Moleskine as soon as possible. The first thing that crossed my mind was, what do you write on the first page? And so I asked her, and she replied, "Anything you want, just pick a random page." Wow. That may have been the simplest, most truthful answer possible. And so, with that in mind, (and I know she'll read this), on the second page of my Moleskine (my first page is still blank), I wrote exactly that, "Pick a random page."

After our lunch, I bought my very own Moleskine. I know what you must be thinking...what kind of writer are you not having a Moleskine?! Crazy, I know. It was just one of those things I never got around to buying. I've always wanted one but deep down I think I was always waiting for someone to buy one for me. No, not because I couldn't afford it, but because it would have sentimental value, the ultimate gift. Honestly, what better gift could there be (for a writer) than place in which to store thoughts and inspiration? Most of you might argue that your memory would be gift enough but let me tell you, us writers have a lot of shit going on all at one time up there, we operate on a level of consciousness that is simply chaotic. Parts of stories, unfinished poems, images, memories--all begin to mesh together and when something new pops up we need to write it down or else count on it being forgotten forever.

I'm so glad to finally have one now but I am seriously still traumatized for not having gotten one sooner. I began to think of all the things I've learned, namely literary devices, tropes, my favorite poems, passages, quotes, etc...from different literature classes that weren't properly recorded. Sigh.

So do you remember that guy in my British Literature class? Well, I had my Moleskine out on top of my notebook on our table today and he walked in and admired my Moleskine. He took his out and noted that they were exactly the same, "I hope we don't get them confused," he chided. I laughed, not realizing they were identical until he pointed it out. I mentioned that his Moleskine had lined pages and mine did not, he then assessed that I was "a free spirit." All throughout class we took turns writing in our Moleskines. It was then that I decided that I did not want to know (and did not need to know) what it is he writes in there.

On my way to Sociology today, I ran into my friend, Beatriz. This girl is unbelievably talented, she has a poetry reading later this month at Woman Made Gallery! We were talking before class and I mentioned my excitement about my Moleksine and she practically shouted with enthusiasm. (I'm pretty sure only us geeky-writer types jump for joy at the mere mention of a Moleskine.) "I just bought one last week!" she told me. I cannot begin to tell you how loud we had gotten at this point. Unfortunately, we ran out of time but set a lunch date to talk poetry and such next week. Guess who is excited? So excited in fact, I might just write about said excitement in my Moleskine.

P.S. I know some friends who will be getting Moleskines as Christmas gifts.

My Favorite Moleskin Blurbs thus far: (Just a little sampling of course since I can't let you read all my thoughts, now can I?)
  1. "That banana isn't allowed in here."
  2. ass mouth otter ass mouth chalk board
  3. "How can you write without your memory?"
  4. en*jamb*ment
  5. Man is nothing else except for what he makes of himself.

2 comments:

  1. Goodness, Tash, even I have a Moleskine! It's great! But I think my little black book is a little too good for me. Seriously, I'm waiting for the day I wake up and find a Dear John letter explaining how my dear Moleskine ran off with another man that can really spread its pages with his long and powerful pen strokes.

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  2. i want a moleskin too! and a blog.

    -cyrene

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