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 daily life on Coenties Slip.

In his journal entry for June 21, 1961, Indiana writes that the first day of summer was cool and very wet, and that he continued to gesso old small canvases, "covering all patent failures." He notes that he also stretched canvas on a second large stretcher, and thus had "many white surfaces now." His work that day also included washing down the front gutter with hot water and taking down "very dirty plastic" in his tower.

Indiana often recorded his meals and evening activities in his journals. Here he writers that he had pizza for lunch, dinner at the Automat, watched part of a 1931 film, and played two games of Monopoly.