Robert Indiana kept a series of illustrated journals during the late 1950s and 1960s, in which he discusses the development of his work as well as his daily life on Coenties Slip.

In Indiana's iournal entry for August 28, 1961, he discusses numerous calls he received that day. These included one from the Museum of Modern Art, New York, saying that they would pick up his sculpture Moon (which they acquired) a week from Friday, a call from Mrs. Goldberg (chairman of the Scarsdale Studio Workshop, where Indiana taught classes), and one from Stephen Durkee, who reported that he and his wife were back from California.

He records applying, "somewhat frantically between all these calls," another general coat to the all red parts of The Calumet. The entry includes a sketch of the painting's central circle. He also notes that he started reading William Goldman's novel The Temple of Gold, which he finished at 3 a.m.