Comments on: The Moleskine and Me

By: Rob Crilly

Rob Crilly — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:20:10 +0000

That happens to be my brand of choice, but it does have limitations. There are too many pages. It starts off fine but eventually the flimsy front cover falls off, leaving your notebook undated and difficult to file.

By: Rob Crilly

Rob Crilly — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:14:10 +0000

So when you see a white person with one of these notebooks, you should always ask them about what sort of projects they are working on their free time. But you should never ask to actually see the notebook lest you ask the question â€œhow are you going to make a novel out of five phone numbers and a grocery list?â€
Brilliant

By: Rob Crilly

Rob Crilly — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:53:18 +0000

Readers of this blog will know that I tend to prefer a low-tech solution to information management as there are fewer things to go wrong with a tape recorder etc. But when it comes to calendars and contacts I reckon you can’t beat a Palm computer. One even survived falling off a donkey in the Jebel Mara mountains. Although it did pack up in Khartoums 40C heat about six months later…

By: Rob Crilly

Rob Crilly — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:45:20 +0000

Irrefutable evidence indeed. Xan Rice of The Guardian here uses them too, but then he is a very good speller so I’ll let him off the hook

By: Lee

Lee — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:28:11 +0000

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2009/02/24/122-moleskine-notebooks/?nucrss=1

By: martin g

martin g — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:12:54 +0000

Rob,
I use moleskine notebooks all the time. Rarely use anything else. You will be delighted, I’m sure, to hear that. Irrefutable evidence that I am precisely the kind of person you supposed.
MG

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:56:21 +0000

I totally agree with you about Moleskine notebooks – for reporters, a waste of money. But for the past 3-4 years I have used black Moleskine daytimers, the week-view, flexible-cover variety that last for a whole year, and I have become a big fan. Way more useful for important dates, short notes to self (that I want to set apart from regular story notebooks) and to-do lists than electronic calendars. I hate having to awkwardly type in tasks on my BlackBerry.
I now have a stack of old Moleskine daytimers on my shelf that provide a nice record of where I was on what dates the past few years along with random observations, stickers, important info – medical insurance #, frequent flyer #s, etc. And Moleskine calendars will survive a full year of being battered in my purse – a real selling point for me.

By: Guy Degen

Guy Degen — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:08:31 +0000

Rob, I use Moleskine notebooks, but sadly or typically for me, I don’t think I’ve scrawled anything remotely “legendary” inside. Sorry Messrs. Hemmingway, Picasso and Chatwin.
I know what you mean about being intimidated by the Moleskine but I think it comes down to the hard cover notebooks. I too have tried and failed. Instead, I usually scribble in the small A6 (and sometimes A5) soft cover “cahiers” (whatever the Moleskine marketing folk meant that to mean). An A6 3-pack sets me back about 5 euro – that’s ok. I like the little inside cover sleeve to stick receipts and business cards. Tax time usually means a mad scramble through a dozen or so notebooks. It also fits in shirt or trouser pockets when I’m filming.
I avoid using the “Volant” glossy soft cover version. It’s twice as expensive and hasn’t got an inside sleeve. I’ve confused it for my passport and it also looks too much like the hard cover notebook. Hence less is written inside – #fail.
But, my biggest gripe with any black Moleskine notebook is somewhere to write date/trip details ON the cover. I’ve resorted to using sticky labels from mini-DV cassettes.
A large jumble of small soft cover Moleskine notebooks (and school exercise books of various descriptions) are looking at me from the corner of my desk.
Am I uncharitable? Well, I’m looking forward to buying your book!

By: Steve B

Steve B — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:23:20 +0000

You can’t beat a Jumbo reporter’s notebook. 50 bob (70 cents?) from the Text Centre at Sarit. Not only is it far cheaper than the moleskine, it’s also far more practical