An accidental Montblanc addition
A dignified older gentleman enters an artsy queer bar. Any moment now, he will begin to sing, and someone will accompany him on the piano.
A Year of Curiosities
It’s been a full year since I started this blog. I published 26 essays during this period, and this one is the twenty-seventh. That’s a lot of writing for a small audience. I'm happy :)
Alabaster and Orange and no Immediate Clarity
It’s ok not to have an immediate clarity about what our collecting impulses mean.
Wanting and having
Pens are tools, but wanting them is about the life of emotions, the ebb and flow of mood and absence, the keen unspeakable discrepancy between the internal music and the cacophony of everyday. But what if that perfect depth of feeling is already in the pen box?
A Portable Sanctuary
When I leave home, even for a short while, the five or six fountain pens in their case become my portable sanctuary, a physical manifestation of respite, endeavor, and dream.
Reconnecting with my Scribo Feel A Riveder Le Stelle
This post is about reconnecting with my Scribo Feel A Riveder Le Stelle. This was my first grail. At various points since March 2021, I said that I should sell it; yet I did not. There is no other pen in the Gathering which I wanted as much, which has meant as much, which caused me this much trouble. Kind of like my writing career.
What are we looking for?
What are we looking for? I am infinitely curious about what collecting reveals about the humans we are, what makes us feel deeply the way nothing else can. For this post, I discuss some broad categories of experience that lead us to collect writing instruments.
Eating my Hats: Diamine Early Dusk and Leonardo Andromeda
There are many advantages to adopting the spirit of the scientific method - that is, experimenting without the pressure of a predefined outcome. Mistakes pave a road for deep learning. Here are two of mine.
2024 Stationery Intentions
My 2024 stationery intentions focus on process and discovery. I’m entering the new year with the feeling that my pen cup is full. I don’t feel like actively pursuing pen acquisition, and I want to spend time with my collection before I expand or reduce it.
Year in Review: What happened with my 2023 Stationery Resolutions?
I’m taking a look at the pen plan I made for 2023 — it’s time to find out what happened.