Robert Shields (diarist)
Robert William Shields | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 17, 1918 Seymour, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | October 15, 2007 (aged 89) Dayton, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | 37.5-million-word diary |
| Spouse | Grace Augusta Hotson |
| Children | 3 |
Robert William Shields (May 17, 1918 – October 15, 2007) was an American minister and high school English teacher best known for writing a diary of 37.5 million words, which chronicled every five minutes of his life from 1972 until a stroke disabled him in 1997.[1][2] Shields's diary, which filled 91 boxes, was longer than those kept by the journalist Edward Robb Ellis (21 million words) and the poet Arthur Crew Inman (17 million words), and 30 times longer than that of Samuel Pepys (1.25 million words).[3]
Contents
Believing that discontinuing his diary would be like "turning off my life",
Shields's self-described "uninhibited", "spontaneous" work was astonishing in its mundaneness, and now fills 91 cartons
The journal for which he became known was not the first he had tried to keep; he had tried to write one at age 17 to chronicle a romantic relationship, but abandoned it after losing interest in the project.[3]
Excerpts
Under the terms of the donation of his diary to Washington State University, the diary may not be read or subjected to an exact word count until 50 years from his death (i.e. in 2057).[7] However, many excerpts have appeared, including the following:[4][8]
- July 25, 1993
- 7 am: "I cleaned out the tub and scraped my feet with my fingernails to remove layers of dead skin."
- 7.05 am: "Passed a large, firm stool, and a pint of urine. Used five sheets of paper."
- April 18, 1994
- 6:30–6:35: "I put in the oven two Stouffer's macaroni and cheese at 350°."
- 6:35–6:50: "I was at the keyboard of the IBM Wheelwriter making entries for the diary."
- 6.50–7.30: "I ate the Stouffer's macaroni and cheese and Cornelia ate the other one. Grace decided she didn't want one."
- 7.30–7.35: "We changed the light over the back stoop since the bulb had burnt out."
- April 30, 1994
- 11:00–11:30: "I picked over parts of Newsweek and Time and Harvard magazine and reread them while I ate about a dozen leftover fish sticks. (Cold.)"
- August 21, 1994
- 2:25–2:35: "I checked on whether our county tax payment had been received. It had."
- August 13, 1995
- 8.45 am: "I shaved twice with the Gillette Sensorblade [and] shaved my neck behind both ears, and crossways of my cheeks, too."
Personal life
Shields was married to Grace Augusta Hotson, with whom he had three daughters: Klara, Cornelia, and Heidi. He died from a heart attack at his home in Dayton, Washington, on October 15, 2007, just over 10 years after the stroke that ended his work on his diary. He was 89 years old.[3]
References
- ^ a b Isay, David (January 27, 1994). "Robert Shields, World's Longest Diary". NPR. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
- ^ a b Feldman, Michael (May 6, 2000). "Michael Interviewed... Robert Shields Diarist and former Reverend". NotMuch.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Martin, Douglas (October 29, 2007). "Robert Shields, Wordy Diarist, Dies at 89". The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2021.(archive)
- ^ a b Morton, Ella (February 5, 2016). "The Minister Who Updated His Status in a Diary, Every 5 Minutes for 25 Years". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ISBN 978-1493026395. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- Boston Globe. Archived from the originalon September 7, 2008. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
- New Zealand Herald. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
