
Back in January, I decided that my new notebook needed a guardian spirit to watch over things. Emily Dickinson seemed right.
I felt like Emily D kept a good watch, so when I finished that notebook, I decided to continue the practice. I burned through 8 notebooks this year, so I had to pick 8 spirits…

I’d never heard of Carl Craig, but I loved this photo of him in The New Yorker, and it was the perfect size.

For the next notebook, the collage artist Hannah Höch.

Then, since summer is a hateful season to me, I went with H.W. and Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood.

George Strait’s hat, swiped, again, from The New Yorker.

Walt Whitman, with my 2-year-old’s scribbles over his face.

A drawing of a robot by my 4-year-old.

Finally, for my last notebook of the year, here’s Jack Lemmon from The Apartment.