ENVELOPE DIARIES, 1998-2005
Series
Scope and Contents
Much of my life I've written daily to-do lists on the backs of envelopes. As I completed chores I crossed them off the list. Thank God most of those envelopes were thrown away.
When writing books or articles I often scribbled notes, ideas, word lists, plot lines on the backs of envelopes, and many of these are scattered through various files in my archives. I wrote a lot of Novel Notes first onto envelopes, often when overhearing stories or gossip in Taos cafes. Once I typed up this information I threw most of the envelopes away. I also made hundreds of vocabulary lists on envelopes while rewriting drafts of books and articles. Most of those scribbled envelopes (again thank God) have dissolved into the sands of time.
Throughout my life I've also kept diaries, many of them typewritten starting in the latter 1960s. Often I made my initial diary notes on envelopes to be typed up and expanded later. Sometimes I saved those envelopes, more often I did not.
For whatever reasons, starting in the late 1990s I began to save more of those diary envelopes, even after I had transferred the information into typed journals. In particular, when hiking, or fishing the Rio Grande, or wandering the mesas of Taos, or hunting for dove or grouse, or climbing in the higher mountains, I kept field notes and observations on the backs of envelopes, to be typed up as journals or novel notes later on.
Envelope diaries and observations have played a huge role in creating my literature. And they became really instrumental when I began keeping more careful field notes while hunting or hiking. In particular, when I began doing a lot of alpine climbs around Taos in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I kept a record of the hikes on the backs of envelopes and carefully typed up these transcripts afterwards. But I often hung onto the envelopes.
Then somebody suggested I carry a little tape recorder on those excursions...and that was the end of the envelope diary field notes. The tape recorder extended my observations and dulled them down a lot also. But, once hooked, I kept using the recorder, it was easier. The result was even more monotonous as is proven by many of the 2000s entries in my JOURNAL/DIARY FILES.
What many of these envelope diaries prove is that I sure can write tiny, and they remind me of my original tiny diaries written back in 1956-1958 when I was fifteen-seventeen and began my obsession with scribbling stuff down in journals.
When writing books or articles I often scribbled notes, ideas, word lists, plot lines on the backs of envelopes, and many of these are scattered through various files in my archives. I wrote a lot of Novel Notes first onto envelopes, often when overhearing stories or gossip in Taos cafes. Once I typed up this information I threw most of the envelopes away. I also made hundreds of vocabulary lists on envelopes while rewriting drafts of books and articles. Most of those scribbled envelopes (again thank God) have dissolved into the sands of time.
Throughout my life I've also kept diaries, many of them typewritten starting in the latter 1960s. Often I made my initial diary notes on envelopes to be typed up and expanded later. Sometimes I saved those envelopes, more often I did not.
For whatever reasons, starting in the late 1990s I began to save more of those diary envelopes, even after I had transferred the information into typed journals. In particular, when hiking, or fishing the Rio Grande, or wandering the mesas of Taos, or hunting for dove or grouse, or climbing in the higher mountains, I kept field notes and observations on the backs of envelopes, to be typed up as journals or novel notes later on.
Envelope diaries and observations have played a huge role in creating my literature. And they became really instrumental when I began keeping more careful field notes while hunting or hiking. In particular, when I began doing a lot of alpine climbs around Taos in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I kept a record of the hikes on the backs of envelopes and carefully typed up these transcripts afterwards. But I often hung onto the envelopes.
Then somebody suggested I carry a little tape recorder on those excursions...and that was the end of the envelope diary field notes. The tape recorder extended my observations and dulled them down a lot also. But, once hooked, I kept using the recorder, it was easier. The result was even more monotonous as is proven by many of the 2000s entries in my JOURNAL/DIARY FILES.
What many of these envelope diaries prove is that I sure can write tiny, and they remind me of my original tiny diaries written back in 1956-1958 when I was fifteen-seventeen and began my obsession with scribbling stuff down in journals.
Dates
- 1998-2005
Language of Materials
From the Collection:
English
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research, however, researchers must sign consent form prior to gaining access to materials. Calavera drawings, proofs, and etchings as well as "little diaries" (Boxes 14, 125, 126, 129, 142) are housed in high security and may require up to 24 hours for retrieval. Enlarged photocopies and typed transcriptions of "little diaries" in Box 142 are located in Box 184.
Extent
From the Collection: 184 boxes (172 cu. ft.)
General
Note: Comments and description provided by John Nichols.
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
cswrref@unm.edu
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
cswrref@unm.edu