Our Diaries, Ourselves: How Diarists Chronicle Their Lives and Document Our World

by Betsy Rubiner

DEAR For lock-and-key diarists and restaurant conversation eavesdroppers alike, a not-so-secret history of the diary and the people who write—and read—them

We know what a king eats in a day, what the inner world of a young girl in hiding looks like, and what it was like to be a Freedom Rider because of diaries. Whether carved into stone, penned in a crudely bound parchment book, or spoken into a camera for viewers around the world, records of human love, loss, genius, and grocery lists have been kept for thousands of years.

Our Diaries, Ourselves pays homage to the time-honored tradition of chronicling one’s day, memories, and creativity. Longtime diarist and veteran journalist Betsy Rubiner invites the curious listener between the journal pages of beloved icons like Virginia Woolf and Taylor Swift. Rubiner tours Italy’s “City of the Diary,” Pieve Santo Stefano, which boasts a diary archive, museum, and annual festival. Through it all, she explores how diaries—whether kept by renowned figures or ordinary people—offer glimpses of life both vastly different and comfortingly similar to our own.

This book is a treasure trove of social history, feminist rebellion, and personal reflection on how keeping a diary shapes a person’s experience of the world. Our Diaries, Ourselves is a celebration of the obscure and the mundane and the ephemeral. It reminds us of a uniquely human need that transcends time, language, and to see and be seen, to be heard and understood and remembered.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing, History, Memoir

272 pages, Hardcover

First published February 24, 2026

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zippy, fun, and loaded with interesting facts about our collective compulsion to document our lives. Loved the combination of pop culture touch points and scientific underpinnings discussing memory, perception and how other generations understand the past. All around excellent read!

[Susan Freinkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has kept a diary off and on most of my life, I was excited to read this deep dive into what Rubiner calls Diary-Land. She's a charming and insightful guide, exploring why we feel the urge to write things down and what it means at a broader cultural level.
What makes the book especially appealing is its mix of curiosity and affection for a subject that has gotten surprisingly little attention. Rubiner treats diaries not just as private musings, but as meaningful records of everyday life—full of uncertainty, emotion, and small moments that might otherwise be forgotten. I also really appreciated how she highlighted the ways diary-writing has long given people, especially women, a space to think freely and claim their own voice. And I loved the excerpts from her own life's chronicles!

[Theresa C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting exploration of why we write diaries, why we read other people's diaries, and the complexities of deciding what to do with diaries after death (not to mention an incredibly practical guide/set of considerations for diary donation). What I loved was the mix of extensive (and I mean EXTENSIVE) research paired with the right amount of the author's personal experiences. It felt like taking a college course with an incredibly interesting professor who understands how to balance logos, ethos, and pathos in their lectures so that we feel not just informed but connected to the content. I'm not in a book club, but this would make for such a great pick because I feel like everyone has a point of view on this topic, even people like me who have been hesitant to keep a diary (though I'm tempted to try now that I've read this book).

[Lottie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

I love journaling as a self care practise, so very much enjoyed this one

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, sincere exploration of the important place the diary has in our personal lives and its role as a key to the past.