Large Format Book Journal

The handmade journal by Ex Libris Anonymous put a huge smile on my face from the first moment I took it out of the box. It’s most definitely one-of-a-kind, made from a fifth grade language arts textbook, complete with the ubiquitous and familiar “THIS BOOK IS THE PROPERTY OF:” emblazoned on the inside of the front cover. If you’re Isaiah D., Jamie, or Emily (1993), this book at one time may have been yours. But Ex Libris Anonymous didn’t stop there, they included pages of the textbook bound in-between the unlined, acid free paper. Whether used as light reading or as writing exercise prompts, the textbook pages are a definite bonus. Also especially fun are the watercolour illustrations on all the textbook pages, and the included textbook chapter title pages, such as “In The Mind’s Eye” and “Fads and Fascinations.”

Oftentimes I’ve received journals I’m afraid to mar or dirty. However, this handmade journal, with its tough, pre-marred cover, is amazingly liberating. It’s spiral bound, so it lays flat on a table, or it can be flipped around to make sketching or writing easy. Maybe it’s the nostalgic idea of writing in my textbook (being “bad”) or the comfortable warmth of the banged-around corners, but I have no qualms about whether or not what I write in this journal is perfect.

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