Clever, stupid, short and long
Hello! One of the unexpected outcomes of my joining the pen cult is that I am writing more. Perhaps, you are thinking, this is in fact an obvious outcome of an obsession with pens? That one might use them? Well, I am very stupid. Also, I have always held my pens in such a way that my hands cramp painfully if I write longhand for an extended period of time. My elementary school teachers despaired of me, but I apparently could not be corrected.
(The ink-stained callus (left) I have developed over a lifetime of holding pens like a weirdo (right))
What I have discovered, however, is that most fountain pens are wider around than your basic cheap ballpoint, and I find them much more comfortable to hold for extended periods. It's not true across the board, but it's true enough that I have taken to journaling, using planners, and writing letters with abandon.
(sometimes even at parties)
The increased letter-writing has been the most exciting, because I have a few longtime pen-pals who I have been letting down in recent years. I had, in fact, been considering buying a typewriter so that I could keep up with letter-writing in the analogue fashion I love without having to deal with hand pain. Fountain pens have largely solved that so I am all-in on letters once more.
(sorry to show you my feet)
I've been tearing through my stash of stationery, not to mention decorative extras like washi tape and stickers, and have been steadily acquiring more. My favourite source is Yoseka Stationery, which has a little bit of everything. My local stationery shop is Merrymaker Fine Paper, and I have discovered some gems there, too. Finally, I have the biggest crush on Casey's Rubber Stamps, a shop in New York which is just shelves and shelves of rubber stamps. How I long to visit someday. My biggest stationery-related splurge has been a fine antique bronze letter-opener which I ordered from France and which brings me such joy every time I use it. If you have never had the experience of slicing open an envelope with a wide, flat knife I highly recommend it. Nothing else quite compares.
I follow a lot of people on the socials who are also letter-writing enthusiasts, and I am in awe of the amount of effort they put into each and every one of their letters. I can't see myself taking it quite as far as some, but I am loving written correspondence once more, and I hope the recipients of my efforts are, too!
Dog Thing
Mixed Media
good reads: I have been picking up Josephine Tey books used here and there when I see them, after learning about her on the "Shedunnit" podcast, and I finally sat down and read one. I started with The Man in the Queue somewhat arbitrality because the copy I had was from the 1960s and everything else I had was later, and completely by accident it was the first book featuring Tey's recurring detective, Alan Grant. I had a lot of fun with it! It's unlike other golden age mysteries I've read on a few counts, which I enjoyed. In less-classic but still older mystery, I read The Edge by Dick Francis, which was about horses (all Francis mysteries are) but also very much about a train, and that bit I liked a great deal. I read The Brightest Star in Paris by Diana Biller, which is about a prima ballerina haunted by her past and also extremely literal ghosts. It's a romance, and an excellent one. Biller writes about feelings very well. Finally, I ready Honey and Pepper, A.J. Demas' new book. I wrote a longer review in exchange for an advanced reader's copy, but in short: I adored it.
good film: As I mentioned last time, I haven't watched many movies so far this year, but I made up for it a bit this month. I accompanied a friend to see The Batman, and was shocked to find I genuinely enjoyed it. I also went to see The Lost City, and thought it was fine! I am always going to go see action adventure comedies. The Mummy is part of my dna. Lastly, I watched Death on the Nile and now I genuinely want to know what Kenneth Branagh has against Agatha Christie. Just watch the Poirot episode instead.
good tv: I've been tearing through all the murder shows I can get my paws on, having now watched all of Murder in Provence and The Chelsea Detective, both based on books I've never read, both very enjoyable. I've sort of unintentionally binged a few shows in the past couple weeks: The Silent Sea, which I loved--good mystery, horror beats without too much horror, great cast, and FANTASTIC sci-fi design; Bridgerton season 2, which was fine--less well-written than the first season and about 3 episodes too long; and Our Flag Means Death, which my life has become entirely consumed by. Pirates are generally not my thing, but when pirates are actually a metaphor for queer community? Extremely my thing. I recommend it whole-heartedly, but if you'd like an idea of what to expect, this review by Isaac Fellman (written just before the final 2 episodes aired) is great.
good games: I somehow missed mentioning this last time, but I played and loved Unpacking, a game in which you follow someone through their many homes, unpacking their belongings in each new place. It's a remarkable game--the unpacking mechanic is enjoyable, but the emotions that follow you as you observe through objects the ways in which this person has changed and grown and found themselves are the real reward. I've since played it through for a second time. I also played and enjoyed Hercule Poirot: The First Cases, which features a hunky young Poirot.
good fic: Shifting Sands by RomanMoray. The Mandalorian/The Book of Boba Fett, Din/Cobb. I'm picky about characterization when it comes to these characters, but this one hit all my buttons.
Love heals all wounds (so they say) by K_R_Closson. Clone Wars, Obi-Wan/Cody. An AU in which Obi-Wan becomes Vokara Che's padawan and pursues healing as a focus.
Lastly
There are a lot of Wordle-esque games out there now, which I'm not really into, but I have enjoyed Framed, in which you have 6 guesses to figure out a movie, based on a succession of screenshots.