217:
151:
Believing that discontinuing his diary would be like "turning off my life", he spent four hours a day in the office, on his back porch, in his underwear, recording his body temperature, blood pressure, medications, describing his urination and bowel movements, and slept for only two hours at a time
251:
Under the terms of the donation of his diary to
Washington State University, the diary may not be read or subjected to an exact word count until 50 years from his death (i.e. in 2057). However, many excerpts have appeared, including the following:
555:
202:
The journal for which he became known was not the first he had tried to keep; he had tried to write one at age 17 to chronicle a romantic relationship, but abandoned it after losing interest in the project.
166:. After his stroke in 1997, Shields tried to continue the diary by having his wife write what he told her to write, but she lacked the compulsion and energy to do so and stopped shortly afterward.
173:, to whom he donated the work in 1999. In a May 2000 interview he said "I've written 1200 poems and at least five of 'em are good." He also claimed to have written the story base for
563:
199:, although there is some uncertainty over the authorship of the Reno autobiography, with Shields himself having acted as editor for the only known published copy.
444:
586:
191:, where Shields was born. Copies of the manuscript are at the Kansas State Historical Society's E. P. Lamborn collection. Shields based his manuscript on
158:
summarized the journal as being about anything "from changing light bulbs to pondering God to visiting the bathroom". He also left behind samples of his
640:
620:
353:
316:
Shields was married to Grace
Augusta Hotson, with whom he had three daughters: Klara, Cornelia, and Heidi. He died from a heart attack at his home in
693:
291:
11:00–11:30: "I picked over parts of
Newsweek and Time and Harvard magazine and reread them while I ate about a dozen leftover fish sticks. (Cold.)"
461:
703:
169:
Shields's self-described "uninhibited", "spontaneous" work was astonishing in its mundaneness, and now fills 91 cartons in the collections of
387:
713:
708:
723:
678:
657:
718:
673:
282:
6.50–7.30: "I ate the
Stouffer's macaroni and cheese and Cornelia ate the other one. Grace decided she didn't want one."
531:
425:
320:, on October 15, 2007, just over 10 years after the stroke that ended his work on his diary. He was 89 years old.
698:
636:
632:
628:
624:
594:
361:
228:. The reason given is: The Shields Diary and papers are apparently now available for research and reading (
170:
178:
259:
7 am: "I cleaned out the tub and scraped my feet with my fingernails to remove layers of dead skin."
128:
116:
163:
521:
646:
391:
688:
683:
229:
8:
123:
of 37.5 million words, which chronicled every five minutes of his life from 1972 until a
234:
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
590:
487:
430:
317:
154:
61:
262:
7.05 am: "Passed a large, firm stool, and a pint of urine. Used five sheets of paper."
527:
495:
329:
136:
132:
297:
2:25–2:35: "I checked on whether our county tax payment had been received. It had."
285:
7.30–7.35: "We changed the light over the back stoop since the bulb had burnt out."
188:
42:
304:
276:
462:"The Minister Who Updated His Status in a Diary, Every 5 Minutes for 25 Years"
667:
499:
269:
196:
174:
559:
140:
307:
blade shaved my neck behind both ears, and crossways of my cheeks, too."
556:"Robert W. Shields, 89, a preacher who kept a 37.5 million-word diary"
651:
192:
184:
159:
388:"Michael Interviewed... Robert Shields Diarist and former Reverend"
232:), which does not align with this section's claims of a 2057 date.
127:
disabled him in 1997. Shields's diary, which filled 91 boxes, was
124:
16:
American minister and teacher who wrote 37.5-million-word diary
120:
115:(May 17, 1918 – October 15, 2007) was an American
357:
119:
and high school
English teacher best known for writing a
230:
https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv946440
419:
417:
415:
413:
411:
409:
139:(17 million words), and 30 times longer than that of
406:
665:
347:
345:
342:
488:"Robert Shields, Wordy Diarist, Dies at 89"
426:"Robert Shields, Wordy Diarist, Dies at 89"
547:
619:Scanned pages from the April 1994 diary:
519:
381:
379:
275:6:35–6:50: "I was at the keyboard of the
694:American Protestant ministers and clergy
578:
584:
385:
354:"Robert Shields, World's Longest Diary"
704:Schoolteachers from Washington (state)
666:
553:
485:
459:
423:
376:
554:Martin, Douglas (October 30, 2007).
486:Martin, Douglas (October 29, 2007).
455:
453:
424:Martin, Douglas (October 29, 2007).
351:
210:
13:
585:Samways, Ana (November 20, 2007).
303:8.45 am: "I shaved twice with the
268:6:30–6:35: "I put in the oven two
131:than those kept by the journalist
14:
735:
613:
460:Morton, Ella (February 5, 2016).
450:
152:so he could describe his dreams.
526:. The Lyons Press. p. 219.
386:Feldman, Michael (May 6, 2000).
352:Isay, David (January 27, 1994).
311:
215:
135:(21 million words) and the poet
714:20th-century American educators
709:Writers from Washington (state)
658:Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know?
724:20th-century American diarists
679:People from Dayton, Washington
513:
479:
279:making entries for the diary."
1:
390:. NotMuch.com. Archived from
335:
272:macaroni and cheese at 350°."
719:20th-century American clergy
674:People from Seymour, Indiana
7:
323:
206:
171:Washington State University
146:
10:
740:
520:Dickinson, Rachel (2017).
224:This section needs to be
102:
94:
86:
69:
50:
28:
21:
523:The Notorious Reno Gang
90:37.5-million-word diary
143:(1.25 million words).
113:Robert William Shields
23:Robert William Shields
643:. NPR Sound Portraits
699:Writers from Indiana
566:on September 7, 2008
394:on February 12, 2012
98:Grace Augusta Hotson
79:high school teacher
591:New Zealand Herald
492:The New York Times
431:The New York Times
318:Dayton, Washington
155:The New York Times
62:Dayton, Washington
655:
330:Morris Villarroel
249:
248:
137:Arthur Crew Inman
133:Edward Robb Ellis
110:
109:
731:
649:
607:
606:
604:
602:
593:. Archived from
582:
576:
575:
573:
571:
562:. Archived from
551:
545:
544:
542:
540:
517:
511:
510:
508:
506:
483:
477:
476:
474:
472:
457:
448:
442:
440:
438:
421:
404:
403:
401:
399:
383:
374:
373:
371:
369:
364:on March 3, 2016
360:. Archived from
349:
244:
241:
235:
219:
218:
211:
189:Seymour, Indiana
57:
54:October 15, 2007
43:Seymour, Indiana
38:
36:
19:
18:
739:
738:
734:
733:
732:
730:
729:
728:
664:
663:
647:Radio interview
616:
611:
610:
600:
598:
597:on June 4, 2011
583:
579:
569:
567:
552:
548:
538:
536:
534:
518:
514:
504:
502:
484:
480:
470:
468:
458:
451:
436:
434:
422:
407:
397:
395:
384:
377:
367:
365:
350:
343:
338:
326:
314:
305:Gillette Sensor
300:August 13, 1995
294:August 21, 1994
277:IBM Wheelwriter
245:
239:
236:
233:
220:
216:
209:
149:
82:
65:
59:
55:
46:
40:
34:
32:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
737:
727:
726:
721:
716:
711:
706:
701:
696:
691:
686:
681:
676:
662:
661:
660:, May 6, 2000.
644:
615:
614:External links
612:
609:
608:
577:
546:
533:978-1493026395
532:
512:
478:
449:
405:
375:
340:
339:
337:
334:
333:
332:
325:
322:
313:
310:
309:
308:
301:
298:
295:
292:
289:
288:April 30, 1994
286:
283:
280:
273:
266:
265:April 18, 1994
263:
260:
257:
247:
246:
223:
221:
214:
208:
205:
180:Love Me Tender
148:
145:
108:
107:
104:
100:
99:
96:
92:
91:
88:
87:Known for
84:
83:
81:
80:
77:
73:
71:
67:
66:
60:
58:(aged 89)
52:
48:
47:
41:
30:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
736:
725:
722:
720:
717:
715:
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
685:
682:
680:
677:
675:
672:
671:
669:
659:
653:
648:
645:
642:
638:
634:
630:
626:
622:
618:
617:
596:
592:
588:
581:
565:
561:
557:
550:
535:
529:
525:
524:
516:
501:
497:
493:
489:
482:
467:
466:Atlas Obscura
463:
456:
454:
446:
433:
432:
427:
420:
418:
416:
414:
412:
410:
393:
389:
382:
380:
363:
359:
355:
348:
346:
341:
331:
328:
327:
321:
319:
312:Personal life
306:
302:
299:
296:
293:
290:
287:
284:
281:
278:
274:
271:
267:
264:
261:
258:
256:July 25, 1993
255:
254:
253:
243:
231:
227:
222:
213:
212:
204:
200:
198:
197:autobiography
194:
190:
186:
183:based on the
182:
181:
176:
175:Elvis Presley
172:
167:
165:
161:
157:
156:
144:
142:
138:
134:
130:
126:
122:
118:
114:
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
78:
75:
74:
72:
68:
63:
53:
49:
44:
31:
27:
20:
601:November 26,
599:. Retrieved
595:the original
580:
570:November 26,
568:. Retrieved
564:the original
560:Boston Globe
549:
539:September 9,
537:. Retrieved
522:
515:
503:. Retrieved
491:
481:
469:. Retrieved
465:
435:. Retrieved
429:
396:. Retrieved
392:the original
368:November 26,
366:. Retrieved
362:the original
315:
250:
237:
225:
201:
179:
168:
153:
150:
141:Samuel Pepys
112:
111:
56:(2007-10-15)
39:May 17, 1918
689:2007 deaths
684:1918 births
587:"Sideswipe"
398:December 1,
162:for future
70:Occupations
668:Categories
505:January 4,
336:References
270:Stouffer's
35:1918-05-17
652:RealAudio
500:0362-4331
471:April 19,
240:July 2024
193:John Reno
185:Reno Gang
160:nose hair
324:See also
207:Excerpts
195:'s 1879
177:'s film
147:Contents
117:minister
103:Children
76:Minister
654:format)
445:archive
226:updated
621:Page 1
530:
498:
437:May 7,
129:longer
125:stroke
95:Spouse
64:, U.S.
45:, U.S.
164:study
121:diary
603:2007
572:2007
541:2022
528:ISBN
507:2022
496:ISSN
473:2020
439:2021
400:2007
370:2007
51:Died
29:Born
656:on
358:NPR
187:of
670::
639:,
635:,
631:,
627:,
623:,
589:.
558:.
494:.
490:.
464:.
452:^
428:.
408:^
378:^
356:.
344:^
650:(
641:6
637:5
633:4
629:3
625:2
605:.
574:.
543:.
509:.
475:.
447:)
443:(
441:.
402:.
372:.
242:)
238:(
106:3
37:)
33:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.