paper notes in a digital world

Too Much Digital World

Regular readers noticed that I went ten days without a post. I was a little worried about this when I started Paper Notes In A Digital World. Could I step on to the treadmill of constantly churning out new material? Could I do that and not feel pressured to produce? I thought I could. Alas, I have learned that my blog's theme of back-to-analog is exciting, but not so exciting that I feel the need to offer up thoughts to the digital world each day.  In that respect, I have failed. I plan to write here less frequently and try not to feel like I have bombed. There's such a pressure that many bloggers put on themselves to produce each and every day. I am one of those - and it's made me feel overwhelmed.

As much fun as Paper Notes is, I much prefer writing on paper. Obviously that is what motivated me to start this blog in the first place, but I think the very motivation has kept me from writing about it in the digital world. And the digital world....there's just sooo much. We've all heard the worn-out phrase, "information overload," a thousand  times. However, how else do you describe this feeling of a crush of websites, blogs, newspapers online, magazines online, databases, search engines, wiki this and wiki that? Every day it seems there are new sites for listmaking, calendering, email, chat, template-looking sites that all search, manipulate and offer information in hundreds of different ways. Web 2.0 is leaving me web weary.

I'll still be here. But I am not going to feel like Paper Notes In A Digital World must have something new all the time. Recipe for blogging suicide? Maybe. If you think about it, this was inevitable when I typed my first word in this blog. By definition, almost, this post was destined to be written.

Putting Pen to Paper Anew

The Washington Post is catching the feel of the paper breeze. In an article titled, Putting Pen To Paper Anew, the Post looks at the back-to-paper Moleskine phenomenon.

That urge -- to take command over a tidy, small expanse of paper, to quickly write in your own hand -- has turned the smartly marketed literary throwback into one of the odder trends of the instant-information age. Moleskine use has erupted in Washington and elsewhere, driven in part by a subculture of tech-savvy people otherwise electronically gadgeted to the hilt.

They bond online about Moleskines, often sharing their need for order. "I know some of you, like me, are multiple-Moleskine nerds," wrote one, setting off a chain of 118 responses. "It's sad, but this is how God's made us." He offered a way to keep them all straight: label the spines with an icon for each Moleskine style.

Great stuff! Read the rest from the Washington Post here.

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My Magazine Love Affair

I'll be the first to admit that searching for articles in online databases and finding just the right material from X or Y magazine - in a matter of seconds - is something to behold. However, I discovered again last night just how much I love to read the Real Thing™. To sit back and hold a nice, glossy magazine and flip through the pages is an experience I don't think can be duplicated on the computer. In fact, I'll be quite honest, I rarely read very long text articles on my computer screen at all. If it's a very long article or post - I'll print it. I don't think it's all about ease on the eyes either, there's just something about reading a long piece from a newspaper, magazine or my printer that appeals to me and my tactile desires.

My experience last night: I am not a subscriber to TIME magazine but came across an interesting article while browsing around titled, "Happiness Isn't Normal," which looks at the relatively new psychology of ACT, or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I wanted to read this in a bad way and even seriously considered going to the store to buy the magazine rather than read it off the computer screen. (My printer ran its last drop of ink earlier in the day.) This hit me square between the eyes and me me realize another truth about paper in the digital world. Some things really can't be duplicated, and the experience of curling up in bed and reading this (very long) article on my laptop had zero appeal. Yet, the idea of doing the same with a real edition of the nice, cool, slick TIME Magazine was very appealing. I opted against the trip to the store and read it online. But it wasn't the same.

Today, while looking at Borders and picking up the issue of TIME with this ACT article, I discovered there were five or so pictures that didn't accompany the web version. I wished I had waited. I savor the times with a good magazine. Surely there are others like me. I'm not a luddite, as I explained above, I love the lightning fast search for articles and I discovered the article in the first place on the Internet. But that is where the relationship between me and magazines on the web end. Great for quick research, browsing and back issues - but no comparison to the real deal.

I admit to being a magazineaholic. At this moment I subscribe to: U.S. News & World Report, Maximum PC, PC World, The Week (great magazine), The New Yorker, Fast Company, Best Life, Inc., Entrepreneur, Poets & Writers, SC Magazine (computer security), The Atlantic Monthly and Computer Shopper. Those are just the subscriptions. I plead guilty to being an impulsive buyer of magazines at the newsstand - I'll pick up Writers Digest, Pages, Bookmarks, Men's Health and others. The point here being that holding a magazine, flipping the pages and leisurely reading from the Real Thing™ is, I think, a sort of simple life pleasure. Reading these same magazines online, clicking the arrows from page to page just won't do it - for me.

Am I the only one?

 

Handwriting and Learning

The Theorist from Fade Theory sent me an email alerting me to a fascinating article from Inside Higher Ed. The basis of the article is that, in the classroom, handwritten work is often the best work. Judge for yourself:

Amelia, a university sophomore, scores a 60 on her first academic paper. On her second she scores a 60 again. On her third paper, she pulls up to an 80 — mostly due to extensive rewrites. Yet on her midterm and final, she received an astounding 90 and 85. Not only was her paragraph structure and use of quotations significantly better, but her ability to sequence ideas and support claims had taken a leap. Even her mechanics (grammar, sentence structure and punctuation) had improved.

I’d like to say that these two high scores came at the end of the semester; this would prove what an effective instructor I was. Instead, they came at odd times — the first A came just after the second paper (which scored a D). The solid B paper did come at the end of the semester. The difference was in how the papers were produced. Both the 90 and 85 papers were handwritten in-class timed essays that constituted the midterm and final. The much lower scores were for computer-generated papers that she produced out of class. These, of course, could be rewritten over and over before the due dates.

I’d like to say that Amelia’s experience is an anomaly. But I can’t. In fact, this semester, 8 of my 20 sophomore English composition students scored significantly better on in-class essays written by hand in a timed situation. Some jumped more than a full grade level. In my three freshman composition classes, almost 20 of 60 students excelled when allowed to write in class rather than compose typed papers on their own time. In fact, at a large community college in California where I taught for six years, I frequently saw 10 to 25 percent of my developmental- and freshman-level writers do significantly better when asked to compose in-class with a topic given just before a two-hour writing period.

Read the rest of, "The Surprising Process of Writing," at InsideHigherEd.com.

This is interesting stuff and raises a lot of questions. Is it simply the slower pace and deliberate writing that paper and pen demands? The comments at the end of the article make for good reading as well. It's a very thought provoking piece. Thanks, Theorist!

The Man Behind The Palomino Pencil

Many of us have only recently been introduced to a great new pencil called the Palomino, a product of California Republic Stationers. The pencils are sold at the The Pencil World Creativity Store on eBay, which is run by Charles P. Berolzheimer II. Who is this man? One thing we know is that there is no question that Charles Berolzheimer has a true love for pencils. Yes, love. Need proof? Try this.....

By day, Charles Berolzheimer is President of the California Cedar Products Company, a company founded by his grandfather in 1919. CalCedar is now the world's leading manufacturer of pencil slats. While looking for a more responsible use of the sawdust from their mills, the company developed a product they may best be known for: the Duraflame log. Today, California Cedar Products is a large company of some 575 employees with several divisions and annual sales, according to Hoover's Online, in the 35 million dollars a year range. So, you're thinking, why is the president of this company selling things on eBay?

Love. A true love for the pencil.

Charles P. Berolzheimer II is known by other lovers of pencils as, "Woodchuck." And Woodchuck is pencil lover extrordinaire. To attempt to explain just how much pencils mean to Berolzheimer would be difficult. After all, pencils and pencilmaking are in his blood. Literally. Part of the family business is now a personal quest for the perfect pencil. Enter the Palomino. It may not be perfect, but it's darn close. The pencil has received rave reviews from Pencil Revolution and is quickly becoming a topic of choice among those of us who love all things pen, paper and pencil. Make no mistake, only a true lover of pencils could have conceived and produced such an incredible instrument of wood and graphite. Graceful. Beautiful. The Palomino is a pencil lover's dream.

President of California Cedar Products, California Republic Stationers - and now - selling his beloved pencils from an eBay store, Charles P. "Woodchuck" Berolzheimer II is an inspiration to those of us who walk in a deep sleep through jobs we only tolerate. His zeal for pencils doesn't stop with CalCedar, California Republic Stationers or the eBay store.....

Charles has a blog called Timberlines. It's a labor of love detailing his personal musings on pencils, forest management, his company and, "the artistic and written creativity enabled by the wood-cased pencil."

Charles, "Woodchuck", maintains a Squidoo lens appropriately called Pencil World. A must-visit at Squidoo.

California Cedar Products even has a coveted domain in the industry: www.pencils.com where they maintain The Pencil Pages.

And yes, that eBay store: The Pencil World Creativity Store. It's now open for business and Charles will sell you his beloved pencils. After you make your pencil purchase, don't be surprised when the emails you receive make it clear that you're doing business with the Pencil Man himself.

Now when you walk into the store and see the stacks of Duraflame logs, you know at least part of, the rest of the story.

Long live the Palomino!

Long Live Paper! A Lifehacker Special

D. Keith Robinson is a writer, designer, artist, publisher and associate editor of Gawker Media's best site (in my opinion), Lifehacker. He has written a Lifehacker Special Report titled, "Getting To Done: Long Live Paper!"  It's a nice piece. Robinson comes down firmly on the side of paper for productivity.

"Sometimes you’ve got to go with what works. More and more I find that when it comes to productivity and Getting Things Done, I’m leaning on paper-based solutions. Who needs Web 2.0 when you’ve got the most flexible, scalable and reliable solutions around—pencil and paper?"

That's the way I see it and Paper Notes In A Digital World couldn't have said it any better.

"Paper is the only way to brainstorm and get those ideas going. Some pencils and pens, a notebook (or Moleskine) for sketching, construction paper for cutting, constructing and drawing up big ideas and a bunch of post it notes are the perfect tools for getting creative. The possibilities are almost limitless."

Again, Robinson hits the nail in the head. This is a must-read from Lifehacker.

Love that paper!

You Write...WHERE?

Why certain activities become associated with certain places is an interesting phenomenon that would be worthy of serious research, far more than this blog can offer. There are many examples, but I am going to focus on the literati. Just take a look at writers and their places. It's almost a rite of passage to compose something worthy in a cafe. Even better if it's in a café. (Note the acute accent which truly makes it a place to write.)

Writing in a café is something writers do. It just is. There isn't really a reason other than writers write in cafés. It's like you drink milk with Oreos - you just do. Most every writer, or potential writer, knows by now the story of J.K. Rowling and her first book; of how she was on public assistance and wrote the first Harry Potter book in a café. Well, of course she did! Did we expect her to write it at McDonald's? Seriously.....why don't writers go to Burger King and sit in a corner and write? Why not an outdoor patio at Sonic?  And while we're talking places, what do we drink while we write at the café? Ask most any writer and they'll tell you they write while sipping on tea or coffee. If they really had a Pepsi they probably wouldn't tell you. Everyone knows you don't write and drink Pepsi. (At least not while you write anything of importance.) Of course, you could always write the Great American Novel on the dining room table drinking Coke Zero and just claim you wrote at the café fueled by cup after cup of house blend coffee. Just make sure you're not booked for Oprah if you really didn't.

So, what is it with writing and the café? Where do you write?

Me? I just write at home with my notebook propped up on.... Oh!...wait!...I...uh...I always write with pen and paper at this smoky little café with a slowly rotating overhead fan, pictures of Kerouac and Hemingway on the walls, lots of wood and brass, an outside patio with umbrella tables, a breeze that comes through with just enough oomph to quietly lift the papers but not actually blow them away; at night there's always a small band playing a little New Orleans jazz, the door to the bustling sidewalk is always propped open by a simple stone and there are copies of The New Yorker and The Paris Review lying about. Honest. You don't believe me? Well, huh! That's how I remember it!

So, where do you write?

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Thank You, Oprah...

Oprah Winfrey did the right thing today. As a lover of books - and especially the memoir genre - I was disappointed in her earlier call to Larry King Live defending James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces. I was very proud to see Oprah stand up to Mr. Frey and his publisher. The truth matters. It matters in the paper world, the digital world, the real world. It just matters. Thank you, Oprah.

Encyclopedias. The Real Thing.

I want a nice, new set of encyclopedias.

Yes, yes, I know - the Internet is one big encyclopedia. All the big encyclopedias are online. The CIA Factbook is online. A thousand country profiles are online. Heck, countries are online - we can even visit the official website of <gulp> North Korea! Yes, I know, it's all online. But....

While I spent a week in bed not feeling well, I was craving a set of good old-fashioned encyclopedias. You know, those multi-volume sets, (Britannica is 32 volumes for 2006), that you maybe last saw in High School. I know, I know, there I had my laptop right on the bed with me- connected at high-speed to the Internet - and I wanted a set of $1400 encyclopedias.

It's that paper thing again.

You see, no matter how many sites are on the web that tell me everything I could possibly want to know about Ernest Hemingway (for example), nothing beats being able to pull down a nicely bound volume of "GE-HI" to read about PaPa Hemingway. No links to click, no pop-ups, no slow-loading sites hosted on Angelfire or Tripod, no links that go nowhere; just a nice book I could have laid back with and absorbed myself in - without all the flash and flicker - for a good hour or more. And in a few hours if a taste of the life of Virginia Woolf calls my name - it's as easy as "TA-WR." Ahh, I had a craving in a bad way and had no fix. Clicking from site to site or surfing to, er, Wikipedia, just didn't do it for me. I wanted the original thing, a true-blue set of tightly bound encyclopedias. Britannica or World Book - I'm not picky. A set of World Book encyclopedias runs 22-volumes and is a cool $989. Quite a bit less expensive than Britannica, but, truth be known, I'm fond of the World Book graphs, charts, full-color pictures and tiered-for-depth-of-interest articles. But heck, this last week I was craving a set so badly I would have settled for a supermarket set of Funk & Wagnalls. I guess it wasn't the amount of information I was after, per se, it was the experience. I wanted to feel the book in my hands and turn the pages. (The paper thing.) I also wouldn't have had to wonder if some ILoveHemingway.com website was put together on a whim by a 12 year-old who doesn't get out enough.

The world is at my fingertips, right on the keyboard, a click away....but sometimes it just doesn't feel right. (And don't even remind me that, "encyclopedias," are all available in CD-ROM editions.) It's the look on the shelf. The smell as I open a volume. The dark ink on the pages. The well-written entries. The feel of the paper. Surely I'm not the only one who, in 2006, says, "I want a set of encyclopedias." The real thing. The real deal. On my shelf.

Moleskinerie Notes Essay Series

I suppose I could link to Armand Frasco's Moleskinerie every day as there is always something there worthy to read or look at. One of my favorite additions to the site has been the Moleskine Notes Essay Series. If you haven't read the latest essay from Renee Altson - I urge you to do so. And if you want to get caught up with the series, you can read all of the essays published on the site here. The magic of the Moleskine.

The Gift Of A Letter

I had a lot of good reaction to my recent post about handwritten notes. I thought I would expand that a bit to the good old-fashioned letter.

Alexandra Stoddard wrote a book in 1991, that continues to be recommended and read titled, "Gift Of A Letter." I have had this book for several years and have re-read it once or twice. It's an excellent look at the lost art of letter writing.

There aren't a lot of books that look at letter writing from a modern-day cultural perspective and Alexandra Stoddard does a good job of suggesting ways of bringing us back to a simpler, and more personal time.

Interestingly, Stoddard is most often thought of as a "writer for women" but I found the book (as is often the case) gender neutral. It's all about marketing.

The publisher's description does a nice job of summing up this book of 144 pages:   

This enchanting book is dedicated to one of the most intimate and touching of human experiences -- the letter. With charm, grace, and enthusiasm, Alexandra Stoddard describes the art and the pleasure of writing letters and the surprising joy it can bring to writer and recipient alike. A letter that takes only a few minutes to write may be treasured for years. Its contents are a true expression of heart, mind, and spirit. Brimming with anecdotes and ways to bring letters into your life, Gift of a Letter inspires and satisfies.

I can highly recommend this book as a good addition to your library if you have an interest in all things paper. Note that you can pick this book up used at Amazon Marketplace for as little as a penny plus $3.49 shipping. So, this book can be delivered to your door for three and a half bucks. You can't go wrong.

Writing As Punishment - A Rant

This is a huge pet peeve of mine that I simply do not understand. Schools are still using writing as punishment. It's wrong, wrong, wrong and the stupidity in such "punishment" really makes me angry. Maybe it's one of those things that is done because it's, "always been done," and some never think twice about the ramifications and the message that is sent. If that's the case, then it's time to wake some people up.

The scenario is usually something like this: Johnny or Sally is late for class (or some such thing), and the teacher tells them that their punishment will be, "a writing assignment." Ugh. In the mildest form it is usually the old, "I WILL NOT ________" 100 times on the board or on paper. This is bad enough as it makes the connection between pen and paper and punishment. However, at its worst, the "punishment" is an actual writing assignment. Maybe it's an essay on why it's important to not be late. Maybe it's a report on anything, as long as it is X number of words. Sometimes it is a two-page biographical sketch of the student's choice. (In and of itself - an excellent educational activity!) But as punishment? The message is clear. If you, Johnny or Sally, do something wrong you may very well be forced to write - and we know how much you hate to write! (Or if you don't hate to write, you should!)

The basis of this punishment is an assumption that nobody actually likes to write. Can you imagine? As punishment, you will have to learn about somebody and put your reflections - on paper! In other words, research and (God forbid) writing is such an awful activity, that if you do something wrong - you are stuck with pen and paper, or in front of a computer screen to do something more than play games. You will have to.....to.....to..... write!

How stupid can we be? How have we let this go on as long as it has? Do you need a Masters in Education to see how crazy this is? Well....forget that last sentence....many of them are the very people who perpetuate this atrocity. You might very well need to step away from the education establishment to see the absurdity in using writing as punishment.

What can we do? If you agree, and you find your schools are using writing as punishment - complain. Loudly. In person - and in, uh, writing. If you have children and they are "threatened" with a writing assignment as discipline, it's time to call the teacher and make an appointment. Many teachers when presented with the common-sense of NOT using this method will hit their forehead and say, "What was I thinking?," others though will fight to the bitter end because that's what they were taught. If they claim it is school policy - time to make the appointment with the principal. If the principal claims it is district policy - time to write that speech for the school board.

Writing as punishment? What a horrible message to send our children. Let's all - all of us who love pens, pencils, paper, books and writing - do our part to help change this upside-down kind of thinking about writing. No more writing as punishment. Period.

I'm Back - Sorta

Still not up to par, but I feel well enough to write a post or two. Thanks for all of those who left nice messages. I hope this takes care of the sick stuff for the next few years.

Under The Weather

I haven't felt well at all this week. I'm staying at home and trying to get well. Just wanted to let readers know that I'll be back as soon as I'm able.

Pencils VS Pens

I've been reading a lot of posts regarding the increased use of pencils as primary writing instruments. What do you think about this? Some say that pencils fade and shouldn't be considered for journals, diaries, etc. Yet, a lot of documents written in pencil have survived for many years.

I'm anxious to try the Palomino pencils from California Republic. I know they are favorites of our friends at Pencil Revolution. They wrote a fine review back in September of last year. You can take a look at the Palomino, and order, from the Pencil World Creativity Store.

As for pens, it seems the discussion thread of choice is Moleskinerie's Moleskine Pens?. The thread began two years ago this month and is still going strong with a lot of great tips. I'm still using the Pilot G2 .05 and .07.