But by the time I became a college professor myself, in 2013, the blue book had begun to disappear. The blue book meant timed essays and handwritten work, modes of assessment that felt regressive, cruel. But this, too, is a reason to love the blue book. Challenged by the blue book, students learn to identify and stand behind their individual commitments. I’ve come to love handing out blue books on exam day and seeing the look of ready intelligence on my students’ faces.