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 30, 1961, Indiana notes that he had gotten "no sleep at all between yesterday and today," and that Charles Hinman, who was helping him transport works to the David Anderson Gallery for the exhibition Indiana / Forakis, "mercifully" arrived two hours later than planned. He records that Generals (In Praise of Dead Generals) was not able to go to the gallery because of "too much varnish," but that they otherwise had no trouble getting works down, including Corn Plant.

Before going to the gallery they stopped by Peter Forakis' westside loft; it was Indiana's first time there, and he notes it was "a big one filled with constructions." Indiana writes that there were many people at the gallery due to a talk upstairs by the "Reuben people," and that he got "a cold greeting from [Robert] Whitman; warm from [Jim] Dine."