Dashboard Writing
May 21, 2008
I’m not even going to write about American Idol (though i’m happy to say that the one person I voted for consistently, David Cook–who happens to look like my younger brother, only with a bigger head than my younger brother–won. Yay!).
David Cook 
and My brother, Justin
Separated at birth?
Here’s a pic of me and Justin from last Thanksgiving. Anyway, if you want to read a play-by-play of the American Idol finale, check out Ted’s blog.
*
I’d rather talk about the fact that I SERIOUSLY need a dashboard notepad. Where can I get one?
I did a google search but only found this,
which I think is in only sold in the UK.
I write things down in the car ALL the time. It’s been happening more and more lately since I listen to NPR on my way to work– yes, i’ve become one of those people who listen to NPR on my way to work.
I keep pens in the car, but rarely remember to keep paper. So instead I end up writing on gas station receipts. And when I write it’s usually while driving, so I sometimes put the paper on the steering wheel, or I put it on the passenger seat. Either way whatever I end up writing looks mostly like chicken scratch.
Recently on NPR I heard the group Dengue Fever, a Cambodian band that fuses pop and psychedelic 60s music. I was trying to write the name down so I could google them later and what I ended up writing looked like Danke Peter. After school that night when I got home it took me all evening to figure out who Danke Peter was.
Sometimes I get ideas for my book, or for stories or essays, while i’m driving. I commute about 15 minutes each way to work, which isn’t far, but you’d be surprised the ideas that come to me.
Ted says he doesn’t want me to write while i’m driving but can I help it if that’s when ideas come to me?
Wouldn’t he rather I write safely with a dashboard notepad?
If anyone knows where I can get one let me know.
Well, it would’ve been, could’ve been worse than you would ever know.
Oh, the dashboard melted, but we still have the radio.
–Modest Mouse
Posted in 
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:48 am
dollar stores sell those kinds of things
Also, staples stores
AND i write on gas receipts too—-and then often throw them out
taperecorders are good and safer while driving but then you have to actually listen to it later
xoLo
May 24th, 2008 at 7:29 am
hey bobby, thanks for coming over for my birthday…
i’m an NPR junkie and get a little annoyed that my commute is only about 8 minutes. sometimes i sit in the parking lot knowing i have patients waiting just to hear the last little bit of ira glass or sylvia poggioli (sp?) commentary…but sometimes in those eight minutes i hear a name or a book or some political reference that i want to look up later… i keep forgetting that i have a digital voice recorder in my car. i thought up the brilliant plan to dictate short stories while on my commute to LA a few years ago…needless to say the commute sucked and i quit that job and shortly thereafter forgot about my short story project…
i still have the recorder. i still have the desire to write. i just don’t have the commute. thats my excuse and i’m sticking to it.
June 1st, 2008 at 7:56 am
Try Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Custom-Accessories-CU072240-Auto-Clipboard/dp/B000FW2MS6
I actually just keep a moleskine book with a pencil jammed in it for ideas while driving. And for writing down names of the obscure bands I sometimes hear on the radio station here.