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 July 19, 1962, Indiana records that he was out all night, and did not get up until afternoon when he received a call from artist Barrie Bates (later known as Billy Apple), who wanted to come to the studio and work on the metal Indiana had given him. He notes that he saw Barbara Durkee's Volkswagen in the parking lot, and that she and her neighbor, also named Barbara, were visiting Lenore Tawney. Durkee and her friend then came to visit Indiana, and were there long enough to meet Bates. Indiana writes that James Rosenquist and his wife Mary Lou "appeared on [the] scene" and also met Bates. They asked about having dinner together, but Indiana declined, wanting to get some work done that day.

Indiana records that Art (clinical psychologist and art collector Arthur Carr) called during the "flood of visitors" saying he would come down at seven. However, he forgot about Carr's visit entirely, and after an evening walk fournd him "waiting and fuming in Jeanette [sic] with a big bundle under his arm: a clock for me!" Carr came up and saw The Trilogy (The Melville Triptych) for the first time, and returned a slide of Loftiest Trucks (Melville), with no comment. Indiana also records a letter from gallerist Rolf Nelson, who had moved to Los Angeles and was looking forward to coming to New York, and that he finally got to work with Bates.