uz istan ▁region ▁of ▁Iran , ▁the ▁C au ca ▁Valley ▁of ▁Colombia , ▁Venezuela , ▁India , ▁southern ▁Italy , ▁Gh ana , ▁Niger ia , ▁Mor oc co , ▁and ▁South ▁Vietnam . ▁ ▁Lil ient hal ▁as ▁writer ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁as ▁a ▁ 1 7 - year - old ▁college ▁fresh man , ▁Lil ient hal ▁met ▁a ▁young ▁lawyer ▁in ▁Gary , ▁Indiana . ▁He ▁later ▁re called ▁that ▁the ▁lawyer ▁ ▁noticed ▁how ▁seriously ▁I ▁was ▁looking ▁at ▁life ▁in ▁general ▁and ▁suggested ▁as ▁a ▁rem edy ▁for ▁this ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁am usement ▁and ▁self - c ult iv ation ▁the ▁keeping ▁of ▁a ▁di ary ▁of ▁a ▁different ▁sort ▁than ▁the ▁" ate ▁today " ▁" was ▁sick ▁yesterday " ▁variety , ▁but ▁rather ▁a ▁record ▁of ▁the ▁impress ions ▁I ▁received ▁from ▁various ▁sources ; ▁my ▁re actions ▁to ▁books , ▁people , ▁events ; ▁my ▁opinions ▁and ▁ideas ▁on ▁religion , ▁sex , ▁etc . ▁The ▁idea ▁appe aled ▁to ▁me ▁at ▁once . ▁▁ ▁Lil ient hal ▁kept ▁such ▁a ▁journal ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁Lil ient hal ' s ▁son - in - law ▁Syl v ain ▁B rom berger ▁suggested ▁that ▁he ▁consider ▁publishing ▁his ▁private ▁journ als . ▁ ▁Lil ient hal ▁wrote ▁to ▁Cass ▁Can field ▁at ▁Har per ▁& ▁Row ; ▁the ▁company ▁eventually ▁published ▁his ▁journ als ▁in