Thomas Mallon — A Book of Ones Own People and Their… [18]

This is a book about people and the diaries they keep. Its first edition has been on my shelves for forty-two years, more than half my life. In reintroducing the book now, it seems impossible not to start with all that’s happened to self-expression in the past several decades. — Thomas Mallon, A Book of Ones Own People and Their…, 18

Note

This opening statement sets the tone for the book, immediately engaging the reader with its personal connection to the author’s life and the evolution of diary practices. It effectively establishes a context for the discussion of self-expression.