Supreme Court Justice Souters Fountain Pen and Ink...

[GeGeLan]

Just read an article about Supreme Court Justice David Souter after he announced his upcoming retirement.

 

One of the tidbits in the story was he won't use either a typewriter or computer to write out the decisions he is responsible for on the court.

 

He writes everything in Longhand using a Fountain Pen.

 

I was wondering:

 

1/ What brand of pen?

 

2/ What brand and color of ink does he like?

 

3/ What kind of paper does he prefer?

 

Would be a nice bit of Trivia to be able to win drinks with.

[gyasko]

Apparently you can't email him to ask. Perhaps he would respond to a nicely written card or letter.

[BillZ]

I read 'The Nine" by Jeffrey Toobin last year. The section about Justice Souter intrtigued me,especially his use of an FP for writing briefs and such. SOOOO I wrote and asked him. This was on July 23rd. Didn't hear from him until Sept 29th. He leaves Washington when the Court isn't in session. To make a short story long He wrote"I a have an old Esterbrook from forty or fifty years ago,and I hope it will hold out as long as I do." The stationery that the note was typed on has a watermark of Fairfax if that anyone.

[BillZ]

Forgot to mention that although the note was typed it was hand signed in black ink. Don't know if that's his ink of choice ornot.

[adamselene]

I read 'The Nine" by Jeffrey Toobin last year. The section about Justice Souter intrtigued me,especially his use of an FP for writing briefs and such. SOOOO I wrote and asked him. This was on July 23rd. Didn't hear from him until Sept 29th. He leaves Washington when the Court isn't in session. To make a short story long He wrote"I a have an old Esterbrook from forty or fifty years ago,and I hope it will hold out as long as I do." The stationery that the note was typed on has a watermark of Fairfax if that anyone.

 

 

 

FPN is an amazing network of unique individuals. We came up with the answer to this question faster than the CIA could have!

Edited May 2, 2009 by adamselene

[pen2paper]

I read 'The Nine" by Jeffrey Toobin last year. The section about Justice Souter intrtigued me,especially his use of an FP for writing briefs and such. SOOOO I wrote and asked him. This was on July 23rd. Didn't hear from him until Sept 29th. He leaves Washington when the Court isn't in session. To make a short story long He wrote"I a have an old Esterbrook from forty or fifty years ago,and I hope it will hold out as long as I do." The stationery that the note was typed on has a watermark of Fairfax if that anyone.

 

 

 

FPN is an amazing network of unique individuals. We came up with the answer to this question faster than the CIA could have!

yes, we should have a fountain pen version of detective/cold case/science/pathology tv shows..

we certainly have a cast of characters;)

[grebmar]

I read 'The Nine" by Jeffrey Toobin last year. The section about Justice Souter intrtigued me,especially his use of an FP for writing briefs and such. SOOOO I wrote and asked him. This was on July 23rd. Didn't hear from him until Sept 29th. He leaves Washington when the Court isn't in session. To make a short story long He wrote"I a have an old Esterbrook from forty or fifty years ago,and I hope it will hold out as long as I do." The stationery that the note was typed on has a watermark of Fairfax if that anyone.

 

Perhaps we could take up a collection for a $50 J and a 9668 nib and send it to Souter for an emergency replacement for when/if he writes his memoirs

[Jimmy James]

An Esterbrook fits. Ideology aside (since we need not get into that here), I admire the guy. He misses home, so he's hanging it up and heading back there. Good for him.

[BerneseMtDogEatsArco]

I read 'The Nine" by Jeffrey Toobin last year. The section about Justice Souter intrtigued me,especially his use of an FP for writing briefs and such. SOOOO I wrote and asked him. This was on July 23rd. Didn't hear from him until Sept 29th. He leaves Washington when the Court isn't in session. To make a short story long He wrote"I a have an old Esterbrook from forty or fifty years ago,and I hope it will hold out as long as I do." The stationery that the note was typed on has a watermark of Fairfax if that anyone.

 

 

 

FPN is an amazing network of unique individuals. We came up with the answer to this question faster than the CIA could have!

 

This is really, really super-duper cool! Thanks for sharing!

 

And, btw, some of us ARE CIA. Not me, unfortunately. I'm out of briefcases filled with automatics and hundred-dollar bills.

..that brings to mind... what if FPN was a secret meeting-place for CIA operatives around the world? That'll make me think twice about posting to poke fun of someone's pen!

Edited May 3, 2009 by BerneseMtDogEatsArco

[Ondina]

I must confess you've left me open mouthed, guys. When the thread came up yesterday, well, I would have never expected to read an answer. Amazing.......

 

[Ondina]

And I'd like to add another thought: the world could use more people that thinks a sober, well made pen and a quality paper is all one needs to perform a task with dignity, because is the mind that drives the pen what makes the difference, not the bling, cost or number of pens, or how exotic the color of the ink is.

 

I will personally miss dearly a generation whose emphasis was on who you were, not how much you had but how it was used, that took care of the small details, and showed unparalleled class in frugality. Men in white shirts of rolled up sleeves whose personality and laughter could brighten up any place, of women that could tie a piece of cloth around her heads in a blinking of an eye to look like the Queen of Saba and spread panache around with a personal elegance that no money could ever buy.

Edited May 3, 2009 by Ondina

[GeGeLan]

I read 'The Nine" by Jeffrey Toobin last year. The section about Justice Souter intrtigued me,especially his use of an FP for writing briefs and such. SOOOO I wrote and asked him. This was on July 23rd. Didn't hear from him until Sept 29th. He leaves Washington when the Court isn't in session. To make a short story long He wrote"I a have an old Esterbrook from forty or fifty years ago,and I hope it will hold out as long as I do." The stationery that the note was typed on has a watermark of Fairfax if that anyone.

 

 

Thanks for sharing that with us. I thought about writing him myself to ask.

 

So he uses an Esterbrook....a good pen from everything I've ever read.

 

Black Ink....I would sort of expected one of three colors....Blue, Black, or Blue-Black as they are (or were) pretty much the only colors accepted by teachers in school at least in my day and I'm sure in his.

 

As for taking up a collection to send him a spare nib and all if any one wants to do it count me in.

 

~ Roland

[BillZ]

Glad to be able to share a unique experience. Maybe his eight fellow justices will get together and buy him a new pen as a retirement gift!

[Ray-Vigo]

I admit that I don't agree with much of Justice Souter's jurisprudence in the various areas of Constitutional Law. However he is a very pleasant man who has retained a great deal of humility despite the degree of power and influence vested in him. He is indeed a fountain pen user and favors that over electronic means of communication. Regardless of where you stand on the legal issues, it's hard not to like him. He is also an excellent speaker.

[sarai]

FPN is an amazing network of unique individuals. We came up with the answer to this question faster than the CIA could have!

 

 

 

And I'd like to add another thought: the world could use more people that thinks a sober, well made pen and a quality paper is all one needs to perform a task with dignity, because is the mind that drives the pen what makes the difference, not the bling, cost or number of pens, or how exotic the color of the ink is.

 

I will personally miss dearly a generation whose emphasis was on who you were, not how much you had but how it was used, that took care of the small details, and showed unparalleled class in frugality. Men in white shirts of rolled up sleeves whose personality and laughter could brighten up any place, of women that could tie a piece of cloth around her heads in a blinking of an eye to look like the Queen of Saba and spread panache around with a personal elegance that no money could ever buy.

 

Beautiful! :clap1:

[bwnewton]

I think it was on one of the C-SPAN stations that I heard that he uses natural light to write/read with during the day, sitting near a window and adjusting as needed. If I have him confused with one of the other justices, please feel free to correct me.

[welch]

Jeffrey Toobin's book about the Supreme Court mentions Souter and natural light. Check the index for Souter, sub-heading "eccentricities". They include his use of the fountain pen.

 

Personally, I wish more judges had the wisdom to value an Esterbrook. Maybe that should be a question that Congress asks of each Supreme Court nominee: "What is your opinion of the Estie?" If they think it's a question about the Special Teams play of the Washington Redskins, then they fail.

[BillZ]

Possibly,writing with a Pen causes him to actually THINK about what he is oputting on the paper! Shelby Foote wrote all of his rough drafts with a dip pen similar to the ones that used ot be in the post offices prior to 1957. He said it made him really slow down and think about what he was going to put on the paer. A lot less corrections and rewrites.

Justcie Souter is living proof that one can exist in the world without having to have the latest...

Someone gave him a TV once and he never used it. Being so refreshingly different makes him a great read. It was one of the highlights of Toobin's book.

[mitaka]

Glad to be able to share a unique experience. Maybe his eight fellow justices will get together and buy him a new pen as a retirement gift!

 

Methinks, Justice Scalia would dissent...

[cfclark]

...what if FPN was a secret meeting-place for CIA operatives around the world?

]

 

The sheep barks at dawn. Repeat, the sheep barks at dawn.