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 his journal entry for March 23, 1962, Indiana records that Mademoiselle magazine called to ascertain which gallery he was with, and that "apparently [this] is going thru."  The artist's studio would be featured in a fashion shoot in the magazine's June 1962 issue.

Indiana writes that his thoughts turned to a dream he had the night before, its image "one of the sharpest" of any he had dreamt. He describes the dream in detail, which took place "at some distance and much removed from my real environment, like a plain simple farm or small-town house in [the] country . . . brought there unto by Eleanor [Ward] for some kind of gathering or celebration of her friend for my acceptance into [the] gallery, and I felt v[ery] much the stranger."

Indiana then records giving the rose of The Rebecca a second coat of cadmium red medium, and heading to Mamaroneck (for the opening of the exhibition Indiana / Natkin). He and J. (his partner, fashion designer John Kloss) left in a rush, as he had matted two Eat drawings at the very last minute, and were thus forced to take a cab to Grand Central to catch their train.