I'm Arun Venkatesan, and this is the arun.is newsletter, where I share my current obsessions, inspiration from around the web, behind-the-scenes content, and more. 

In this week's issue:

• Everyday objects: Notetaking workhorses
• Two podcast episode recommendations

Everyday objects: Notetaking workhorses

This is the third installment in my series called Everyday objects — examples of good design in the fullest sense. This week, we're looking at a few notetaking tools that inhabit my desk.

First is the humble Field Notes notebook. It's cheap, durable, pocketable, and survives falling apart before I run out of pages. 

I have accumulated a stack of Field Notes notebooks over the years from friends and festivals. They are perfect. Every time I swap out a warn Field Notes for a crisp new one feels like an occasion.

To write in a notebook, I need a pen, of course. Mine is the Lamy Swift. After wanting a Lamy pen for years, our visit to Munich piqued my interest once again. Back at home, I did a bit of research and settled on the white version of the Swift rollerball.

It's mainly constructed of metal, with a perforated pattern that serves as a grip. When you retract the tip, the clip retracts as well, a feature that apparently will prevent putting an extended pen in a pocket. Overall, the pen is dependable and solid. I couldn't ask for much more. 

This combination of pen and notebook has served me well for more than a year. They look great on my desk and, more importantly, are satisfying to use.

Two podcast episode recommendations

John Gruber and Craig Mod are both inspirations of mine. They started writing on the internet when it was common for writers to do their own design, programming, and more. When I began arun.is, I didn't think of taking any other route. Apart from their approach to writing, I, of course, also relish the content of what they produce. So, when one of them is interviewing the other, I cannot help but tune in.

Craig joined John on The Talk Show for a two-and-a-half-hour walk through Craig's history and his way of doing things. This is one of those episodes that feels not like an interview but instead like a real conversation. If you too like either of their work, you'll love the episode.

The second recommendation this week is much more of a conventional radio-style podcast episode. Brand Wilson, president of the Ace Hotel group, spends some time talking all about the hotel chain on Monocle's The Entrepreneurs.

I've always respected Ace for how well it keeps its properties on brand while avoiding a cookie-cutter approach. This episode dives into some of what makes that possible and a bit about how COVID has affected the company.

That's it for this issue. As always, this is my personal email, so feel free to respond directly to this newsletter.


Stay curious,
Arun Venkatesan