Commonplace Book
When I was 20, I started to keep a notebook of lines that I read and loved. At first, this was an assignment for my favorite class (thank you, Professor Deming). But I kept it up, and over the years, my commonplace book has served as a a way to see what has felt urgent to me—to stay on nodding terms with myself through conversations with authors.
I wrote about this practice in a Letter of Recommendation for The New York Times Magazine, accompanied by a beautiful illustration by the talented Daniel Liévano. Afterwards, I started to hear from readers about the quotes that are meaningful to them. I loved it.
I share some of the quotes that stay with me in my monthly newsletter. If you keep your own commonplace book, or just have lines from writing that roll around in your head, I’d love to hear them. Feel free to add a comment below or email me.
4 responses to “Commonplace Book”
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I started ripping pages I never want anyone to read out of journals. Had forgotten while I wrote blah blah in the front, I recorded meaningful quotes from books, poetry, etc in the back . Although aware of Commonplace Books for decades, your NYT piece was the genesis for “collecting all the words and sentences …that have been the blast of a trumpet.” Undoubtedly, you’ve been such a catalyst for others. Thank you.
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Good morning, Charly. You’ve propelled me. I sat down this morning to write an essay about my commonplace place book, only to discover that you’ve already written my essay. Nevertheless, I’m going to press on. I have a bit of writing due for my local critique group, and as this idea has been germinating in my head since last night – and I’ve already got my commonplace book propped up beside my Mac – I figure what’s to lose. Anyway, my essay will be nowhere as good as yours. And I’m in Colorado. Who out here in Pawnee Country is going to recognize my essay as derivative? Seriously, Charly, thank you for being a champion of the commonplace book. Until I found your essay in the NYT Magazine, I had thought I was one of the vanishing few. Best wishes, Ray
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Hi Charley,
I just found your article while planning an assignment for an English course I’m teaching soon. Thank you so much for sharing this experience! I’d love to learn what the assignment in your college English course asked you to do (do you have the assignment by any chance?). Do you think others in your class also stuck with the practice after the class ended?
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Thanks for your reply, Mary! I’ll follow up with you over email.
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Charley Locke 
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