(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

It was so good to be back among my pen people. Like many of us, I've missed pen shows these past few years. While I'm lucky enough to have local pen folks I can nerd out with from time to time, there's something special about filling a ballroom with people who all love the same thing and watching them all share their interests and passion for the hobby.

There were a lot of absent faces, still--friends without whom a pen show hardly feels like a pen show--but there was something remarkable that made up for it. New faces! So many of them. It seems that people have flocked to the hobby in droves since the start of the panoramapanini. I left the show with a lot of new pen friends, and my prediction is that next year, when the missing faces return and the new faces come back for their second year...we're going to need a bigger boat. Because Saturday was nuts! You could hardly walk through the room, and getting up to a table, almost any table, meant a bit of a wait in line. This is, of course, excellent. And I hope the vendors did as well as the crowd implies. I certainly did my part.

I wasn't able to attend on Friday, but I drove down Saturday morning, arriving around 10am. Things were already bustling by then, and by the afternoon, the room was full. I made my rounds, saying hellos and catching up with old friends, taking photos and soaking in all the inky goodness.

I really did try and behave myself this year. I made a budget, looked over the vendors list, had a plan. But pen show deprivation is a thing, turns out. I kept to my budget Saturday, but the problem was, I went back Sunday, and then I oops. It was like my first pen show all over again.

The first thing I caved on was a notebook--a B6 size Rough NoteBook in the Botanical design. It's made in China, but is designed to replicate a vintage Parisian book, and it is lovely. The paper is kraft, but I was assured that it is fountain pen friendly. I was skeptical, but initial tests are positive! I also picked up some of the same brand in sticky notes. I'll be reviewing them both in the coming months.

Brian Gray Edison Pens — *Brian Grey, Edison Pens.*

Then I had to go take a closer look at the Edison Pens table, because I'd seen their Instagram video of their new model--the Comet--and I was intrigued. And sure enough, they had one so perfect it looked like it was made for me. It's made of Jonathan Brooks' Abalone resin material, which I have drooled over for years, and it has a smokey clear comet finial. It had to be mine! I got a broad nib on it, as the pen colors practically insist that it be filled with pale shell-colored inks.

Except, I didn't want to wait to get home to ink it, so then I went back into the fray to find some ink for my new treasure. The Atlas Stationers table had tons, and I found a bottle of Ferris Wheel Press ink in Madame Mulberry that looked perfect.

All good, right? A notebook, pen, and ink. Mission accomplished! But... while I was waiting my turn at the Atlas ink swab binder, I browsed the table behind me. It was Flyght of Fantasy Studio, a table of many temptations. I could not resist the glass pen rest shaped like a white kitten, so I got it even though I know my 7-year-old will eventually steal it from me.

Then I set out on a quest to find gifts for my artsy mother- and sister-in-law, who I'll be visiting next week. That meant browsing again, which meant another round of the room, more chatting, and yes, more buying. But not what I meant to buy.

Let me explain.

You know Sarj's table? The most dangerous corner in any pen show? I have successfully resisted the overwhelming temptation of that table for years, since 2016. But for the last few shows, I've been tempted by the same pen, and every year, I walk away thinking I'm safe. And every year it's still there. But it won't be there next year, because reader, it's mine now. A John Twiss vintage celluloid pen in black with lightning vines of bright green twisting around the material, with a silver green man roll-stop. It's so lovely. And it's my first celluloid pen. It also consumed the entire rest of my budget. I decided to end my day there, and I practically floated out of the ballroom.

After dinner with my family, who came with me just for the hotel pool, I set myself up in the bar, waiting for the pen show after dark. I got a bit nervous, because for quite a while, no one came. It wasn't until after 8pm that the tables started to fill and pen rolls and notebooks came out, and the best part of any pen show began. That was what my soul needed. We had a blast passing pens and trying funky nibs and swapping inks, getting to know each other. There was the traditional whisky and cheese tasting. And, thank goodness, no giant gummy worm this year. There was, however, a surprise birthday party for Ralph, including pen-themed cupcakes that dyed everyone's teeth and skin blue, as if we'd all been drinking the ink. Good times. I didn't get to bed until I started getting the "are you okay?" texts from the fam--a sure sign that I've properly exceeded curfew.

Sunday was much slower at the show. There was less crowd, which meant more time to chat with a few folks who had been too busy the day before. I was also determined to find the aforementioned gifts this time. I mentioned my quest to Hugh from Kanilea, and he walked me down to Michael Sull's table, where he and Al had tons of lovely paper. Michael even took the precious last few minutes of his time before a day of classes to write my mother-in-law's name and beautifully embellished it. She's going to love that. Then Al showed me all the papers, and I picked out some watercolor paper I know she'll love.

My sister-in-law, though, is a wild thing, so I needed to find something to suit her. I succeeded at Federalist Pens, where the bins of past Field Notes offered up some of the lovely letterpress editions.

And that was it! Success! All goals achieved, and budget mostly intact, all I had to do was get out of the ballroom, grab my family and some lunch, and hit the road.

Except.

Mullet — *Business in the front, party in the rear.*

They put Ian Schon's table right next to the door. It's a good spot, and we'd had plenty of opportunities to chat throughout the show, but you literally cannot walk past that table without slowing, I don't care how many times you've circled the room. If you haven't seen his Galaxy design pocket fountain pens, they're definitely worth a look--they're gorgeous. And a show exclusive design in cloudy orange and black with bright spots of metal that look like stars had been whispering my name every time I walked by. Knowing it was the last time I'd walk by, it started shouting. So I, um, adjusted the budget a little.

I made a quick escape after that, and hit the road back to Wisconsin. I spent the whole drive thinking about how wonderful it had been to see everyone and how cool pen people are. And how excited I am about my new pens. It was a good haul and I regret nothing.

Pen Shows After Dark — *Pen Show Water containers.*

I know the world is not yet out of the woods with the virus, that we still have a long road ahead of us. But this year it feels more like we're traveling that road together, and making decisions that keep us safe while allowing us to be a community. This pen show was by far the biggest crowd I've been around since pre-2020, and while I was nervous, I was also grateful. Pen people believe in taking care of each other, and there was a lot of love in that room.

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Chicago Pen Show, 2022

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