The Accidental Diarist
A History of the Daily Planner in America
280 pages
|
34 halftones
|
6 x 9
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© 2013
- Contents
- Review Quotes
Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1. The Almanac as Daily Diary
Chapter 2. The Birth of a Daily Planner
Chapter 3. The Profi ts of an Abbreviated Self
Chapter 4. Making a Diary Standard
Chapter 5. The Daily Planner Meets the Adman
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
Chapter 1. The Almanac as Daily Diary
Chapter 2. The Birth of a Daily Planner
Chapter 3. The Profi ts of an Abbreviated Self
Chapter 4. Making a Diary Standard
Chapter 5. The Daily Planner Meets the Adman
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
Review Quotes
David Henkin | author of The Postal Age: The Emergence of Modern Communications in Nineteenth-Century America
“Molly McCarthy presents a compelling case for considering preformatted daily planners as a distinct genre of both timekeeping and self-reckoning in the nineteenth century. The Accidental Diarist makes a significant contribution to the history of time consciousness in America.”
Michael O’Malley | author of Face Value: The Entwined Histories of Money and Race in America
“The Accidental Diarist is a fine piece of research, perceptive, nuanced, and well written. Here, Molly McCarthy explores a neglected aspect of American life in a most original way. Bravo!”
American Studies
“In this meticulously researched and engagingly written cultural history of the daily planner, Molly McCarthy traces how everyday Americans used their diaries both in expected ways (tracking the passage of time and monetary expenditures) and unexpected ways (tracking spiritual progress, interacting with the burgeoning commodity culture). In doing so, McCarthy ably joins the ranks of scholars such as Michael O’Malley, Patricia Cline Cohen, and Charles McGovern, who contributed to our understanding of Americans’ standardization of time, acquisition of numeracy skills, and engagement with consumption and citizenship, respectively.”
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