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Hello my name is Clay and I'm a complete noob to pens in general (especially fountain pens.) The reason I'm "new" to pens is I was born with cerebral palsy and due to that I've used computers to write everything but my name and a couple sentences. I used to hate using pens and pencils to physically write things due to how hard it was physically and also I do not have good handwriting at all. I have come to realize here recently I enjoy writing with pens when the pen "glides" over the paper. Keep in mind the pens I used were not even true Ball point either. So I started to do research and discovered fountain pens. I know that it is a learning curve when it comes writing with fountain pens but I feel up to the challenge. I want to start enjoying putting ink on paper cause the way I see it, the words you write in ink gives the paper soul. I'm looking for a durable beginner fountain pen around $10 (prefer non-disposable) and to give you an idea I've tried the Pilot Varsity. I enjoyed the experience that the Pilot Varsity gave me, but I'm just not fond of disposable pens! Any advice would be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance, Clay

I'm reading Philip Larkin's letters. Whilst he drafted his poems in 2B Royal Sovereign pencils, he used a Fountain pen to write some of his letters. In his letter dated 17 April 1941 he writes, "The writing of this will be awful because I'm being forced to write on the back of an awful nib." On 16 April he calls it a vile pen (no mention of the brand). Considering, he's just survived another round of bombing (Coventry was very badly hit through-out the blitz) the letter reads as rather matter of fact and has some understatement. That said, Larkin was an entertaining letter writer and it contrasts sharply with how people come to view him through his poetry. yes, the themes are in the letter, but there's also a love of jazz and playing with language.