COMMONPLACE BOOKS

By Mary Davis

Chopin, Kate, 1850-1904 / Public domain.
Contains extracts of works by other authors, personal compositions, notes on current European monarchs, and famous last words of celebrated personages (pages 1-159); and the diary of her 1870 wedding trip from May 24 to September 4 through various eastern United States cities, Germany, and Switzerland
(pages 160-203).

Title: Commonplace Book of Kate Chopin, 1867-1870

“We think and improve our judgments by committing our thoughts to paper.” President John Adams (father of President John Quincy Adams)

 What is a Commonplace book? I heard this term a few months back and was fascinated by the concept.

  

Commonplace books were popular during the Renaissance and the 19th century in modern Europe. Reading and writing went hand in hand. They read to better themselves and to find truths. They did this by writing out passages from the books they read.

“The ancients followed the same course as ourselves when commencing their meditations, laid up a great store of instances and particulars, and digested them under topics and titles in their commonplace books.” Sir Francis Bacon, 1620

Beinecke Flickr Laboratory / Public domain
Commonplace book 1620s

 Who has kept a commonplace book?
~Mark Twain — American author
~Elizabeth Cady Stanton — Suffragist
~Julius Caesar — Roman General
~Lewis Carroll — English Author
~Thomas Jefferson — U.S. President
~Napoleon — Emperor of France
~Montaigne — Inventor of the Essay
~Bill Gates — Microsoft Tycoon
~Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau shared a commonplace book about poetry.
~Robert Burns — Author of Auld Lang Syne
 
Robert Burns’s introduction in his commonplace book.

Robert Burns. 1783. / Public domain
Robert Burns's Commonplace Book 1783-1785. Introduction.

I took a stab at transcribing this page. I never would have been able to attempt it if not for my post in February titled 27th Letter of the Alphabet where I highlighted some of the letters we used to have and no longer use.
 
“Escaminu(?) N. 30th Aug 1797(?)
Observations, hints, songs, scraps of poetry v__(?) by Robert Burns, a man who had little art in money-making, and still less in keeping it; but was, however, a man of some sense, a great deal of honesty, and unbounded good-will to every creature, rational or irrational. As he was but little indebted to scholastic education and bred at a plough-tail, his performances must be strongly tinctured with his unpolished, rustic way of life; but as I believe, they are really his own, it may be some entertainment to a curious observer of human nature to see how a plough-man thinks and feels, under the pressure of love, ambition, anxiety, grief with the like cares and passions, which, however diversified by the modes, and manners of life operate pretty much alike I believe, in all the species.”

I don’t promise this translation is 100% accurate, but I think I got close. Some of the words were a real challenge to decipher.

I love this line, "...a man who had little art in money-making, and still less in keeping it..." It tells so much about him, including his honesty.

Why have a commonplace book?
—So you can learn to think better.
—Writing down the jumbled thoughts in your brain helps to make sense of them.
—To spark creativity. What inspires has direct results on your creativity. The brain can connect vastly different things when they are in close proximity to each other. Say you wrote down a recipe that you have never been able to get to turn out right and on the next page you have a proposed floor plan for rearranging furniture in a room. Maybe the recipe gives you a new way to think of combining pieces in the room to work better together. Or by rearranging the floor plan, you realize that you need to combine the recipe ingredients in a different order for a better outcome. Without having those things in close proximity to each other those connections wouldn’t have been made. Success with the recipe that had always evaded you and the room would never be quite right. Our brain is an amazing organ.
—So that you don’t have to memorize and recall from memory all those tidbits that sparked inside you.
 

Beinecke Flickr Laboratory / Public domain
(Manuscript in several hands including leaves
from a common-place book, genealogical
notes and nostrums) ca1620

How is this different from a “journal”?
A journal or diary is more of an account of the happenings of the day.
 
I believe there is some overlap between a commonplace book and a journal. A journal might mention a particular book the person read and a feeling about it. In a commonplace book, the creator would likely not only name the book and feelings but have quotes from the book that were of particular interest to them.
 
Each commonplace book is unique to its creator. There is no right or wrong way to keep one. Each commonplace book compiler organizes their collection in their own unique way. Some use a regular purchased notebook. Some use a journal they have made from various papers. Some use index cards. Some modern commonplace bookkeepers us Evernote or some other kind of virtual repository. What works for the individual is the right method.
 
I’m going to start a commonplace book very soon. My first one will be my learning experience. I have sort of done commonplace book type things throughout my life, but the quotes I wrote down were scattered about, so I could say that it was more of an UNcommon NONbook method of writing down and then losing them. Not very effective.
 
I recently copied down a C.S. Lewis quote I liked that I will be putting my commonplace book when I get it started.
"Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when we look back everything is different." C.S. Lewis

Do you have a commonplace book? If so, can you share something from it?

The Quilting Circle series: Historical romances stitched together with friendship and love.

COMING SOON!!! Book 3 THE DAMSEL’S INTENT releasing June 1, 2020

A hermit comes down from the mountains to snag a husband. #TheDamselsIntent

AND Book 1 will be coming out in audio format SOON!

Book 1 THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT

FREE Preview: http://a.co/1riJfrA

A single mother steps out of the shadows of abuse and into the sunshine. But will a secret clouding her past cost her the man she loves? Get it here for FREE on Kindle Unlimited or Kindle to buy for $4.99 or paperback for $12.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CV4XDLH/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_XaM.DbMKBGBG1

#TheWidowsPlight

Book 2 THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT

FREE Preview: http://a.co/4UXlRN5

Can a patient love win her heart? Or will a forced marriage be the end of her romantic dreams? Get it here for FREE on Kindle Unlimited or Kindle to buy for $3.99 or paperback for $12.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NQZVNWY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_WcM.DbRBRKVQ9

#TheDaughtersPredicament

#ChristianRomance #HistoricalRomance #Romance

MARY DAVIS s a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her 2018 titles include; "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, Courting Her Amish Heart, The Widow’s Plight, Courting Her Secret Heart , “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , and Courting Her Prodigal Heart . 2019 titles include The Daughter's Predicament and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-four years and two cats. She has three adult children and two incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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A Carbon Copy

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez



Do you remember that black and bluish-purple paper that you put under something and on top of another piece of paper to make a copy? Maybe using it in a typewriter? What’s a typewriter you ask? Another blog for another day. Much like many things in this world, I began to wonder when did the carbon copy paper come about? So I started to dig.

Black carbon paper I found in my grandmother's desk

Surprise! There seems to be quite a few holes in the history of carbon paper, or at least according to Wikipedia. But there are three things that everyone seems to agree with. Carbon paper was developed by two different men in two different countries about the same time period, in the early 1800’s. As far I can tell, they didn’t know each other. Here’s where I got tickled. The original carbon paper was not invented for the copying of important documents or checks or use in the typewriter. Both men invented their carbon paper as an aid for blind. Possibly a way for the blind to be able to write without having to see to know when their pen was needing ink again? 

Carbon paper of years gone by

In 1806, Englishman Ralph Wedgewood patented a composition aid for the blind, the “Stylographic Writer”, a contraption where metal wires acted as the lines on a paper and the carbon paper was the ink. His carbon paper was a simple piece of paper soaked in printer’s ink and then dried. But that was a mess, so it was placed in between two more sheets of paper to protect the writer’s hand while the ink transferred to the bottom sheet which was of good letter writing stock. When the blind community didn’t go wild for his new invention, he turned it into something to copy documents for private use. It took a while for that to even catch on. Although it seemed a hot item for writers, his carbon paper wasn’t used by many businesses yet, who preferred their letters be written in ink. This is all taking place in England. Meanwhile, back on the ranch—I mean, Italy.

Carbon paper of today

Pellegrino Turri of Italy, in 1806, had a deep passion to come up with an aid for the blind himself. Well, passion for one specific blind countess. The Countess Carolina Fantoni had become blind during the most active time of her life. Turri had fallen in love with her and promised to invent a machine that would allow her to correspond with her friends…including him without having to tell her personal feelings to a third party writing her letters for her. It must have been a success with the Countess. Turri was her only source of supply of carbon paper and she treasured his machine. Even though the machine doesn’t exist anymore, several of her letters have survived. “I will never forget that it is a precious gift by you”, she wrote.



In Concord, Massachusetts, an American was making carbon paper similar to Wedgewood’s by 1823. Cyrus P. Dakin was exclusively selling it to the Associated Press. In 1871, Lebbeus H. Rogers was doing a promotional stunt for the biscuit and grocery firm he was just made a partner of in Cincinnati. During an interview with the Associated Press, Rogers saw Dakin’s carbon paper saw the potential of office documents being efficiently copied easily. He immediately founded the firm of L.H. Rogers & Co. in New York. In 1870, the firm reached its first major sale to the United States War Department for $1,500. Roger’s vision wasn’t fully reached until a specific typewriter was developed for commercial use in 1872.

Held in front of a light source you can read what was originally copied

Carbon paper at first proved great at producing copies by hand with a metal stylus, the typewriter produced excellent originals and copies. The team of typewriter and carbon paper became a must in an office. L.H. Rogers & Co replaced the original handmade mixture of carbon black pigment and oil which served as a solvent with the first carbon-coating machine and introduced the one-sided carbon paper. But he wasn’t done yet. Rogers was the first one to produce the ribbons for the typewriters.

Carbon paper I use on my wood working to transfer patterns

Of course photocopiers was the biggest cause of decline of sales of carbon paper, but it is still widely used today. Not only physically, but in emails! Ever wonder what that cc on the email address bar is? Would you believe if I said cc is short for Carbon Copy? It is! You can find different brands from a variety of prices at various stores. Artists and crafters use them. Even woodcarvers use it quite a bit to transfer their patterns. I know I do.

Born and raised in the Edmond, OK area, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great, great, granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to help settle the area around what is now Seminole, Oklahoma. The fourth generation in a line of women in her family to be born in Indian Territory/Oklahoma, she has lived in her beloved state all her life. With her knowledge of surrounding area history, her heart relishes in volunteering at the Oklahoma Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. She lives with her husband and parents in the Edmond area, currently working on a historical romance set in pre-statehood Waterloo, Oklahoma.

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Jane Austen Fun

by Linore Rose Burkard

Ahem (clears throat) --I happen to know that we have a few NON-Jane fans on this blog, (horrors) so these authors (who shall remain anonymous) will please forgive my post this month and bear with us hopeless Janeites.(You know I love you anyway!)

Thanks to Hollywood and its lavish portrayals of Jane Austen novels, most people by now are aware of Jane's six completed books:

Sense and Sensibility   (1811)

Pride and Prejudice  (1813)

Mansfield Park (1814)

Emma  (1815)

Persuasion (Illustrated) (1817)

Northanger Abbey  (1817)

(In addition, three books remained unfinished at her death: Lady Susan, the Watsons, and Sanditon: )

How amazing that she wrote them all in such a short space of time! She had no word processor, not even a typewriter, but used a tiny writing desk with an inkstand and pen. It makes her achievements more remarkable. 

Jane's writing desk

As a writer, I can hardly imagine getting a novel written correctly without my electronic aids.  

Even more compelling is that during Jane's life, writing paper (sometimes called 'foolscap' for the water mark it once bore) did not come cheaply. As someone who used the "criss-cross" method of writing letters in order to save paper, it only makes sense to assume that she thought out each sentence carefully before dipping her pen into that ink.  (I've said this elsewhere and I'll say it again: I look forward to cornering Jane in heaven and having a wonderful discussion!)

Anyway-- there are other published writings of Jane's, many of which are familiar to only her more devoted fans. These are letters and early works (called the Juvenilia). Specifically,

Love and Freindship (sic)
Catharine, or the Bower
The Beautifull Cassandra 

The History of England 

What's truly mind-boggling about Jane's works is not only that she wrote them in mostly a very short span of her short life, but the sheer number of Austen spin-offs, movies, CDs, and related products that have since arisen. They are impossible to number. Jane would be, I think, both delighted and, in some instances, horrified. (One thinks of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, for instance. Perhaps she would  simply have a great laugh about it. Jane--as did all her family--had a wonderful sense of humor, particularly for the absurd.)   

 

In any case, I called this post "Jane Austen FUN" because I have a treat for Jane fans, or anyone who likes a little literary puzzle fun. (Teachers might use it in class during a study of Jane or one of her books, for instance.) It's a PDF, and it contains not one, not two, but three word search puzzles, all related to Jane's books. Better yet, its free, and all you have to do is click the link HERE to get it. 

It was originally for my newsletter subscribers only, but now I'm making it available for everyone. (I do still occasionally offer free pdfs and other things to my subscribers. If you would like first access to my freebies, please join my list. Just enter your email in the drop down box on my website.  While you're there, take a look at the other free PDFs that you can download instantly on my Resources page or click THIS LINK. There are other subscriber specials not yet made available, but I expect to get them up eventually.)   

Tip: When you print out the puzzles, skip the first page, which is only the cover. Take them to the beach or your favorite summer chillin'out spot--and enjoy! You might just want to grab your favorite JA read while you're at it.  Speaking of which, tell us what Jane Austen book or movie is your absolute favorite--if you can decide! Leave a comment and let's compare notes.

 

Linore Rose Burkard  is best known for her Inspirational Regency Romance Series, which whisks readers back in time to early 19th century England. Authenticity and heart-warming adventure are par for the course in her books. Fans of romance in the tradition of Austen and Heyer (such as Pride & Prejudice, Cotillion, and even My Fair Lady), enjoy meeting Linore's feisty heroines and dashing heros.

How to Write Like Austen? (Maybe)

by Linore Rose Burkard

          Looking through some old newsletters from JASNA (The Jane Austen Society of North America), I came across something fun: An interesting link shared by author Carrie Bebris, a fellow regency novelist. She says she keeps her writing style in the vein of Austen's by using http://www.writelikeausten.com. 

If you type in a word, it will tell you if it appears in any of Austen's works--and how many times, too. It will also give you synonyms that Jane used--and point out a few she did NOT. There's more on the site that any respectable Janeite will enjoy, so I encourage you to take a look. But can it really help you write like Austen?

 
Just for fun, I entered a few words I used in my first regency, BEFORE THE SEASON ENDS.

"Prinny"--a caricature, by Gillray

I discovered that Jane never referred to the Prince Regent as "Prinny." (Though Mr. Mornay, the hero of BTSE, as well as the prince's inner circle of fashionable friends, did. Probably not to his face.)  


Neither did Jane once refer to the elite fashionable district of London (that regency writers today are so fond of), "Mayfair," by name. 


Interestingly, she used the word "Fortune" (ie., one's wealth) 222 times. (Hmmm.)
"Money-- 127
"Rich"--78
"Estate"--77 times.
"Marriage"--246
"Church"--53
"property"--55
"Jointure"--only 3 times (A jointure usually referred to a widow's income, sort of an annuity.)
"Wealth"--33 times.
 "Pounds"--95
"Wedding"--333

Going over that above list is like reviewing many of Austen's themes in brief, although her true themes cannot be reduced to single words. 

 For fun, I entered a few more words we all associate with Jane Austen, such as,

"Pride"--138 times
"Prejudice"--35
"Sense"--238--quite a lot 
"Sensibility"--69
"Gentlemanlike"--24 
"prodigiously"--5 (only! huh. And "prodigious"--only 9 times.)

Out of curiosity, I also tried the site's "Austen Writer," in which you can insert a paragraph of text and see how it compares to, in their words, "Austenicity." (Love that word! Austenicity.) 
So here's how the opening paragraph of my novel, above, made out.
I entered the following:

Something would have to be done about Ariana.

All winter Miss Ariana Forsythe, aged nineteen, had been going about the house sighing.  "Mr. Hathaway is my lot in life!"  She spoke as if the prospect of that life was a great burden to bear, but one to which she had properly reconciled herself. When her declarations met with exasperation or reproach from her family--for no one else was convinced that Mr. Hathaway, the rector, was her lot--she usually responded in a perplexed manner. Hadn't they understood that her calling was to wed a man of the cloth? Was there another man of God, other than their rector, available to her? No. It only stood to reason, therefore, that Mr. Hathaway was her lot in life.Their cold reception to the thought of the marriage was unfathomable.

How did it do? Except for the proper nouns, ONLY the following words from this excerpt were never used by Austen

exasperation, responded, hadn't, wed, available. 

I could take that to mean the writing has significant "Austenicity," right? But wait, maybe not. 

To compare, I took a paragraph from my contemporary novel, FALLING IN, and entered it into the site. 

Here's what I entered:

      ...Pat felt in his pocket, and that's when he pulled out a small felt-covered box, the kind that held rings. He was grinning.

        Oh, my gosh! He's going to propose! Sharona was shocked. Not happily shocked. It was an unwelcome idea, that of getting married. They'd only been dating for five months!  Sharona's heart constricted. Pat was cupping the box reverently in one hand, waiting for her to take it. She reached for it woodenly, her mind a jumble of thoughts.  It was true Pat had given warnings, saying things like, "Junior partners don't become senior partners in my firm without a wife; preferably a couple kids, too." Pat's superiors were mostly old-school, white-haired men, and they liked things traditional. But Pat had always followed such statements with a laugh, so Sharona never took his words as a hint of something coming. She hadn't dreamed he'd been serious.

In this case, the app again flagged personal pronouns, but also every single compound word and contraction; as well as "constricted," "cupping," "reverently," "woodenly," "preferably," and "dreamed." Jane Austen did not, apparently, use many adverbs or modifiers. (Perhaps we can learn something here!) Most words, however, were not flagged.  

This tells me two things:
1. You cannot use this little tool to write like Austen, although it will tell you if a word was never used by her.
2.  Jane used quite a few words in her writing that we still use today. And that's it! 

Still, it was a fun exercise. 
If I could find an app to do the same for writing like Dickens, now, wouldn't that be fun?

Do you read Jane Austen? Or regencies? What is a favorite word of yours from the period?




Linore Rose Burkard  is best known for her Inspirational Regency Romance Series, which whisks readers back in time to early 19th century England. Authenticity and heart-warming adventure are par for the course in her books. Fans of romance in the tradition of Austen and Heyer (such as Pride & Prejudice, Cotillion, and even My Fair Lady), enjoy meeting Linore's feisty heroines and dashing heros.
   
All excerpts above, copyright 2015 Linore Rose Burkard