Hot off the presses—or poetry typewriter table—I was handed this little handmade booklet yesterday.

Much typing, snipping, choosing, and gluing went into its making. The cover has an intriguing 3D swirl of real pencil shavings, thoroughly attached with a thick layer of white glue dried clear. The pages are sturdy black cardstock, hand-ripped. The spine is sewn with yellow embroidery floss.

The thin paper strips that make up the text were typed on a snappy little Remington Remette, recently arrived in our house from Tom Furrier’s closing shop. My daughter has barely stopped using it since we brought it home earlier this month.

“Pencil Shavings: Ode to Mama”

I will enjoy these buoying-up words and this lovely artifact.

Thanks

I also enjoy the writing and sketches of teenager, Ruby LaRocca. Her 2023 award-winning essay, A Constitution for Teenage Happiness, is an affirmation of similar choices made in our home. We remind ourselves of it frequently.

Read old books.
Memorize poetry. Learn ancient languages.
Learn from the monks, and slow your pace—of reading, of writing, of thinking.
Learn how to conduct yourself in public.
Dramatically reduce use of your phone.

Having a phone in your pocket is like always carrying around a glazed donut that constantly tempts you to snack on it—but if you do, you know it will ruin your appetite.
Sure, the phone is a good way for people to get hold of you—just like smearing yourself with blood before you go swimming in shark-infested waters is a good way for sharks to reach you.
—A Constitution for Teenage Happiness, Ruby LaRocca

And on her Substack, Stumblings, Ruby’s tribute to her mom this week, Life in the Margins: or Another Ode to Mom, inspired my daughter to make this booklet.

Abigail was also inspired by the act of sharpening pencils while in her online Greek class, in the midst of translating Herodotus, on my birthday. 😊

Thanks, Abigail, for this thoughtful gift, Ruby LaRocca for the inspiration, and Tom for the Remette.