
What Is The Best Pen For Your Marginalia?
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The best pen for writing marginalia in the margins of your books is, You tell me. I’m out to crowd source the best pens for marginalia-writing like I’m looking for the best BBQ or eyelash curler. I am convinced this is what the Internet is for: smart pen reviews.
“Marginalia (or apostils),” as defined by Wikipedia, “are marks made in the margins of a book or other document. They may be scribbles, comments, glosses (annotations), critiques, doodles, or illuminations.” And I have done them all, friends. In fact, here is the last page of my copy of The Great Gatsby:
Though some people feel (wrongly! [sorry]) that marginalia is contrary to the care of books, I’m in an opposite camp: that writing in books is Claiming Not Maiming. It makes books personal and a record of your reactions to them. Plus, I’m a bit of a pen nerd. Fabulous, luxurious pens? Here are some.
However, since a marginalia habit depends on good pens, I have had my share of disappointment. I have had my share of bad pens. Sticky, leaky, pens what’s ink doesn’t dry fast enough.
My trusty ultra-fine-point green Sharpie that I use for #bujo bulletjournaling in my Rhodia notebook bled! Bled! Gah! Not cool! through the pages of Tom Perrotta’s Mrs. Fletcher (my beach read of choice). It’s a first world problem, I know, and, easily solvable (unlike so many other problems).
What Is Marginalia?
Medieval marginalia of a boar, from Harvard University’s MS Richardson 31.