About

I love pencils.  I don't want to write with anything else.

I began my love of pencils in graduate school.  I was using J.R. Moon Pencil Company No. 2 pencils that I bought at the local teacher's store where I worked, The Learning Station, because of the fun colors and designs that I could buy.  I was working on a masters degree in history and the fact of the matter is that you cannot take pens into archives and special collections, only pencils.  I still have a few of these Moon pencils left lying around.

J. R. Moon

I began to do graduate study in energy and environmental policy, and I became acutely aware of resource scarcity, so I started to take notes with a fountain pen so that I could refill the ink and waste nothing.  This was a mess and this phase didn't last very long, only a couple of years.  I was keyboarding whenever possible, using a gel ink pen, and was fairly perfunctory about it.

My faculty advisor was fond of a disposable mechanical pencil, the Papermate Sharpwriter #2, which is a fairly miserable writing implement, but it was much better than a pen.  I picked these up while at school and got into the habit writing with a mechanical pencil for the very first time.  Thank you, professor.

Papermate Shapwriter #2

[Enter catastrophic eyestrain]:  the research and writing required to draft and revise a Ph.D. dissertation caused a lot of havoc on my sight.  A deliberate effort was needed to be productive in scholarly work while limiting the number of hours that I spent in front of a computer screen.  The Papermate Shapwriter #2 was not going to cut it for the long haul to the defense.  After extensive internet research on pencils, lead thicknesses and lead types, along with long and elaborate conversations about pencils with family members who had experience (or knew people who had experience) with pencils, I bought an Alvin Draftmatic 0.9mm.  I have never turned back.  It is still my favorite pencil. 

Alvin Draftmatic 0.9mm

In this journey, I learned something about myself.  My spirit connects with my mind, my mind develops thoughts which become words, I connect with the paper, and I am able to develop the story in a way that in not possible at a keyboard.

I have to admit that my penchant for pencils is a little eccentric.  It has become a distinct joy in my life.  I look forward to the intimacy of writing with a pencil, the natural light or low light that is needed (which is distinct from the glow of a computer screen), and the sound of my deliberate marks on the paper (again, a much different experience than the noise of a keyboard).  I like pencils. A lot.  I don't want to write with anything else.

Having done major writing projects, such as my 900+ page doctoral dissertation, with a pencil, I have developed a few strong views about pencils.  I have been interviewed for an article in Scientific American about my pencil affection/affliction and the differences between handwriting and keyboarding.  When I meet a "pencil person" who truly understands what I am talking about, it is one of the delights of the day.  I have so many conversations with people about pencils that I decided to write my thoughts down in this blog. 

Enjoy.

Amy