Messages like this are why I entered the field of artisanal pencil sharpening:

The pencil that you sharpened for my wife’s wedding present is one of our prized possessions. We have not used it yet. Our plan is to put it inside a glass case with a label: ‘In case of standardized test, break glass.’

Lots of pencil sharpening activity is planned for this weekend … close your eyes and listen; you may hear the shavings flying off the shafts as I bring out the inner sharpness of many a fine Ticonderoga #2 …

Hello everyone out there in MNFTIU World! I got so busy with facebook.com/mnftiu and twitter.com/letsgetshort that I neglected my home base, my “safe space,” ie this blog.

But I’m going to make it up to you … by DJing the best print fair in the country tomorrow night!

PRINTS GONE WILD
Friday, November 5
6:00pm – Midnight
SECRET PROJECT ROBOT Art Space
210 Kent Avenue (Williamsburg)
Brooklyn, NY

This event is free, guys. There will be piles of amazing prints (all priced CHEAP); there will be bands; there will be a raffle; there will be artisanal pencil sharpening; and there will be me playing my thrift-store LPs. Let’s do this!

From a reader in North Carolina.

My tummy feels funny.

Who is Aqua Buddha, and why is he always tying up women? What’s going on in Kentucky?

Thanks to Fernando and Sarah for kicking so much butt!

Thanks to reader DM for this photo from Chicago …

Hello everyone!

Tomorrow afternoon they’re filming a talk show hosted by John Hodgman at the 168th St Armory in New York City. The guests will be Nick Mangold of the New York Jets and Sarah Vowell of the New York This-American-Lifes. Some amazing things are gonna happen that I can’t even talk about.

If you have tickets to this show I need to talk to you:

I’m doing an artisanal pencil sharpening demonstration as an audience warm-up. (I did a demo at a party on Friday night and sharpened over twenty pencils; it was intense with sweat flying every which way. Somebody almost spilled wine on my Dahle 166 premium sharpener.) I’d really appreciate it if one of you would bring a PENCIL WITH SENTIMENTAL VALUE AND AN INTERESTING BACKSTORY to the show. I want to arrange an authentic, emotional encounter between your pencil and my pencil sharpener; between your past and your future. I love sharpening pencils that have personal resonance for clients.

So, please, if you are coming to the show (and I should mention you need a ticket to come to the show), bring your favorite pencil!

Thanks,

David Rees
“Master Sharpener”