I describe myself as “ever so slightly obsessed with diaries,” which is probably an understatement. I have been keeping a diary since I was in high school but my interest goes far beyond my own modest writing habit. I have just finished a book about diaries (published July 2019) and I have been reading widely across the history of the genre along the way.
In the course of my research, I realized that digitization technologies are profoundly changing diary studies. As more and more historical diaries are digitized, they become available for scholars, students, and general readers to encounter and enjoy. I created an index of digitized diaries that is meant as a resource for anyone curious about these materials. I also write elsewhere about diaries, including offering guidelines to diarists about how to store and preserve their writing.
Hi, Desiree!
I too am “ever so slightly obsessed with diaries” and am delighted to have found your VERY helpful index of digitized diaries. I recently started a website called Parallel Entries (www.parallelentries.net), which collects diary and journal excerpts written by different people on the same date across the years. I hope you’ll consider submitting some older entries of your own! Please spread the word. I do hope we can meet some day and talk diaries. Thanks again for all the work you’ve done in this fascinating, important field.
Warm regards,
Sarah Simpson
LikeLike