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.

Indiana begins his journal entry for June 9, 1962, by recording his surprise at finding "Tiger-Lily" (the name of one of his cats) in the first chapter of Moby-Dick (Herman Melville's novel had inspired works such as Ahab and Melville). The excerpt, which he notes is in "that part about visiting [the] prairies in June," is "Go visit the Prairies in June, when for scores on scores of miles you wade knee-deep among Tiger-lilies—what is the one charm wanting?" 

Indiana writes that he sunned on the roof before cleaning up the loft and receiving a call from art critic Gene Swenson, who told him he would be arriving for his studio visit an hour late. They had vermouth downstairs, and then Swenson asked if he could see his new work, the artist recording: "he knew [that] [there] was new work! [There] seemed [to] be no disappointment; his reaction was more of awe [than] anything else—but he sees an awfully lot of art [to] be in awe of mine!"

Swenson reported that his article (for ARTnews, "The New American ‘Sign Painters’") was due to come out that month, not in September, as Indiana had presumed (ultimately the article would not appear until the September issue). Indiana writes, "he saw final proofs, and is only a little sorry [that] he included [Jim] Dine with whom I am paired. Feels all [the] more strongly regarding Dick Smith now."

Indiana then records a call from Lenore Tawney, whom J. (his partner, fashion designer John Kloss), invited to dinner. He also notes going to her studio later, that Agnes Martin would be showing at Elkon Gallery in November, and that he got a late call from Tom Smith, who was drunk and lost.