Commonplace Journal Index Page

Commonplace Journal Index Page

Originally uploaded by Duc N. Ly.
Previously

“a certain old, well-thumb’d common-place book…carried in my pocket for three summers, and absorb’d over and over again.” – Walt Whitman.

CommonPlace Journal Cover

The book comes with three white stick on labels. The journal has a preface which explain what a Commonplace journal is. Those two small pages of explanation gives me so much ideas and possibilities for this notebook. It began in Renaissance times. The Latin term is loci communes, or commonplaces. There is a guide for using the Commonplace Refill. So for example ‘Game Theory’ would be under ‘Ga’. Take the first letter and the next vowel. Then note the pages separated with a comma. This system is based on John Locke which would be filed under ‘Lo’ and or ‘Co’ for commonplace book. You get the idea. There are six pages for Index and additional two pages for more or different categories. Otherwise it is just like the ruled journal with numbered pages. The signatures are sewn together with threads instead of glue for durability. There are 120 pages for both the Journal and the Commonplace book. The pages have very smooth but not glossy surface so the ink sits well on the page and not bleed through.

Already I am thinking that in the back section could use some sort of indexing system, perhaps a simple alphabetical index or appendix. These journals are called Refills and they are meant for the three versions of the jacket. Stand alone, the covers are flexible for bending and putting it into a jacket sleeve. I can’t help but wonder if there’s a version of a sturdier cover which can be a stand alone notebook or slip more easily into the jacket.

All in all, it’s a superb journal. I could use it for a book of quotations, journals, or ideas for a novel. Participating in NaNoWriMo has taught me to first capture and later catalog. Now there’s a way to index it and later edit the work in an organized fashion.

http://ducly.wordpress.com/2007/08/15/commonplace-book-2-2/

tags: commonplace book, book, filofax, paper, notebook, binder, quotations