Mainly after Sunday church services and always after a funeral, an all-you-can-eat buffet was where you went to recharge, reflect, and mourn. As a person who grew up in extreme poverty, there was something quite comforting about having more than you needed within your grasp. There were mounds of fried chicken, collard greens, and dressing for the taking. You could eat as much as you wanted. For those moments, and only $7.99 per person, you were as rich as you were ever going to be.

With Buffet, you will receive two notebooks. The covers, in many ways, remind me of the importance of staying humble, that wealth overflows in these small, life-long things, and that despite what we may feel on a day-to-day basis, we have everything that we need.

These saddle-stitched notebooks are approximately 5.5 inches wide × 7.5 inches long (larger notebook) and 5 inches wide and 4 inches long (smaller notebook). As they are made by hand, one at a time, sizes may vary slightly and there may be slight imperfections. Each notebook has 40 pages of white, unlined paper. Your notebooks will arrive wrapped in a plastic sleeve and come with a short, hand-written personal reflection based on an aspect of their life cycle.

About This Series

Because I was born, raised, and currently conduct research in the rural Deep South of the United States, I am privileged to consistently be exposed to some pretty spectacular vistas. From the cover photography to the paper cutting, the Rural Notes series is a limited edition of hand-constructed notebooks designed to capture a quintessential—but often overlooked—aspect of rural life. The currently available covers are from my travels to Mississippi (where I was born) and Oklahoma (the home of my mother’s side of the family).