About "Sketches by Kristen"

A Writing Practice in Homage to Charles Dickens

In the 1830s, a young Charles Dickens cut his teeth writing under the pseudonym “Boz.” He wrote short observational columns, simply observing daily life in London, making up stories about the people he witnessed. Although he considered them “extremely crude and ill considered” they’re actually wonderful snapshots of the world Dickens lived in. He’s being hard on himself. They’re lovely. It got me thinking that writing hasty observations of the world around me might be a fun project to practice writing what I see and hence, “Sketches by Kristen.” This won’t be a daily or even weekly thing, but an “as it happens” thing. As a photographer, I find this type of exercise an interesting and fun way to preserve the world around me, sharpen my writing tools, and force myself out into the world.

If you’re like to read Sketches by Boz - Every-Day Life and Every-Day People, it’s available for free at The Internet Archive. They’re short and sweet. You’ll find the entire collection in one online reader.

You can read my first installment here - Sketch of Fulham Road to Caffe Nero and Flat Whites