Writing

By Drew Edwin Holt

To say that Austin is eclectic is something of an understatement. In this rapidly growing city, the industries of entertainment, technology, and Fortune 500 businesses create a melting pot of the traditional and the tech savvy. But even here, where the motto is “Keep Austin Weird,” I get a strange look when I tell people about my job.

You see, I sell pens.

The person I’m talking to will pantomime a writing motion with their hand while carefully annunciating “pens?” When I confirm that yes, I did, in fact, just say what they thought I said, they’ll raise one eyebrow and twist their lips in a look that is equal parts disbelief and amusement. Polite questions usually follow, but the look of someone who has just heard a bold-faced lie never completely fades away.

Something similar happens at the mall where the store is located. Shoppers of every variety walk by with clusters of bags under each arm, and some will crane their necks to read the store’s sign. Some peer in with incredulous looks, and others stop dead in their tracks, nearly causing collisions. Then, intrigued, they come inside.

They’ll have lots of questions, most of which begin with “why?” Why are these pens better than a twenty pack of plastic ballpoints? Why would anyone need these? And sometimes, “Is this a real place?” We answer by doing the most convincing and effective thing we can: we put one of our writing instruments in their hands.

As they write on the test pad, something magical happens. An eyebrow is raised again. A smile tugs at the corner of their mouth. Their expression becomes both impressed and nearly giddy. They examine the pen with satisfaction, turning it in their fingers and feeling its weight and balance.

In that moment, someone who was merely passing by the shop understands something essential about pens the same way collectors and connoisseurs do: having a well-made writing instrument makes an invaluable difference. Getting thoughts from the mind to the page is no longer done with a mass-produced and disposable tool. Writing transitions into the realm of art.

Writing with pen and paper is much more organic than tapping away on a touch screen or keyboard, and anyone—from art students to tech gurus and executives—can be drawn to its allure. At a time when authors fear the death of physical books at the hands of e-readers, and handwritten letters are replaced by ones and zeroes inside tiny, lightning-fast processors, it’s nice to know that writing is still an instinctual joy.

That look on their faces is more than amusement. It’s a connection to the tales and innovations of history’s greatest minds, and—forgive me if I’m getting too sentimental—it’s a kind of hope. What’s more inspiring than the infinite possibility of blank paper and a good pen? What world-changing ideas will fill the page?

That’s an idea that fits well here in Austin, and I’m sure, anywhere else people dream freely.

From Pen World Magazine's 25th Anniversary issue, Oct 2012