What's On My Desk: The Tools I'm Using Right Now

I’ve been using a Pentel Sign Pen for months, but I swerved to a very fine point Uni-Ball Signo without giving it much thought. My Sign Pen wasn’t around, I picked something else up, and it stuck. For now. I’ve gone from a bold painterly scrawl to something wiry and wobbly. Maybe a style will develop.

Here’s all the stationery I’m using at the moment. -Adam

• Field Notes Front Page Reporter’s Notebook — for my high-priority work list (Maximum 10 items. If I need to add something, I need to complete a task.)

• Leuchtturm Jottbook (light blue A6) — opened flat on my desk to jot down something I might look at twice

• Clairefontaine spiral notebook (red A5) — for notes on John Cheever

• Rhodia Sewn Spine notebook (green A5) — for a story nicknamed Alphonse¹

• Decomposition spiral notebook (Pear Bears 7½" x 9¾")  — for a story nicknamed Frank

• Norcom spiral notebook (red 10½" x 8" wide-ruled and five-hole punch) — for a story nicknamed Zimmer. I still believe in the power of the cheapest spiral notebook, preferably purchased from Goodwill.

• Field Notes The Birds and Trees of North America Memo Book (Pine Grosbeak 3½" × 5½") — for my always-in-my-pocket notebook

• .38mm Uni-Ball Signo DX (blue-black) — for almost everything

• Various Extra Firm Blackwings. I have been down on Blackwings since this. Do you recommend other excellent H or 2H pencils? Let me know.

I used to write a blog post along the same lines: What [was] on My Desk in January 2021, February 2021, and March 2021.

1. Years ago, I was charmed by a newsletter that used code names for every project. I couldn’t help myself.