The Erasable Podcast

Allison King, a novelist and software engineer, shares insights from her book 'The Phoenix Pencil Company,' which navigates themes of data privacy, family history, and LGBT love. The discussion highlights a fictional family's unique connection to pencils, merging nostalgia with the darker implications of surveillance. They explore identity through generational narratives and the role of technology in storytelling. King also delves into the art of pencil manufacturing and the balance between digital and analog identities, blending creativity and craftsmanship.

After a month full of travel from our intrepid hosts, involving everything from counterfeit theatre tickets to marriage proposals to a literal train wreck, we’re back to regale each other with stories from our travels, and, of course, the stationery we picked up along the way. Plus, we announce a future book club episode with The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show notes and linksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord invitePhoenix Pencil Company by Allison KingUntitled Goose Game bookAnimal Crossing bookParis France by Gertrude SteinAndor Season 2The Bureaucratic Banality of Andor | RonBronson.designMy Friends by Fredrik BackmanEveryman’s Library Pocket Poets SeriesCharley CrockettSomebody Feed PhilIs a River Alive?Remix Album from The CureJohnny’s Pride journalsNahvalur Verdigris Muse fountain penErasable logo hatsErasable Eraser Friend lapel pinYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil RevolutionAndy Welfleandy.wtfTim Wasem

The summer limited editions are out early this year! Join us for the scoop on two releases from Blackwing, some very watery Field Notes, and finally — you can buy our newest Erasable merch!For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show notes and linksErasable PatreonErasable Eraser Friend pinErasable logo corduroy hatOrbitalAndor Season 2Doctor Who Series 14Levenger True Writer in Sapphire MosaicDiamine Sapphire BlueField Notes Summer ToteField Notes Is a River Alive?Is a River Alive? By Robert MacFarlaneNew Field Notes box artThe artist and his pencil sharpener collectionBlackwing Labs 05.13.26 pencilsBlackwing Labs 05.13.26 notebookBlackwing Volume 140Andy Johnny/Pencil RevolutionYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil RevolutionAndy Welfleandy.wtfTim Wasem

May is upon is, and we’re here with a short one, discussing our tools of the trade, and some fun fresh points — Johnny talked about his sugar cane notebooks for Earth Day, and Andy introduced some new spring Erasable swag for 2025 (Stay tuned!)For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonThe Birthday Massacre’s Sleep TonightWhere the Crawdads SingDamnedPusciferNahvalur Nautilus Ti Herbin Sapphire Bullet Journal 2.0 2023 Artist EditionChiikawaWhen We Were RealWhere the Axe is BuriedLed Zeppelin by Bob SpitzBad Monkey SoundtrackEverybody's Live with John MulaneySugar Cane paper notebooks at Pencil Revolution PressMakers CabinetElipso KickstarterIRIS Large FormatTimberlines on Substack (Blog of Charles Berolzheimer, CEO of Blackwing)Your HostsJohnny  GamberPencil RevolutionAndy Welfleandy.wtfTim Wasem

To celebrate our podcast turning 11 last month, we’re traveling back in time to channel our 11 year-old selves, and examine what stationery meant to us as Little Guys.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteBon Iver Field Notes“The Chicago Look” Field NotesNahvalur Original PlusNahvalur Nautilus Ti BlackAndy’s Yikes blog postYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil RevolutionAndy Welfleandy.wtfTim Wasem

Today’s episode is a short one — Tim’s out, and Johnny and Andy talk about some of their new pencil hauls (including a Pentel Black Polymer 999 that Andy’s particularly excited about). Johnny gets civilly disobedient (more so than usual, that is) in his reading from his zilbaldoni.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonThe Erasable Podcast DiscordAndy’s new blog, AsterismsThe War on CarsThe BookmakersKiridashi KnifeKamikokuenPencil GroceryThe Hardest Working Font in ManhattanYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil RevolutionAndy Welfleandy.wtfTim Wasem

Welcome to the first installment of Re-rasable, a new series where we resurface some of our most memorable episodes and interviews from the past ten years.For this inaugural edition, we’re rewinding to Episode 106 and our conversation with Henry Hulan, Chairman of the Musgrave Pencil Company. This interview was a true highlight, giving us a rare inside look at the history and craftsmanship of American pencil-making. Even more exciting, it led to the creation of the Musgrave Single Barrel 106—a pencil made from vintage red cedar and numbered after this very episode!Join us as we revisit this special moment in Erasable history.Links & Resources The Erasable Podcast – erasable.us Musgrave Pencil Company – musgravepencil.com Musgrave on Instagram – @musgravepencil Musgrave on Facebook – facebook.com/musgravepencilIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow pencil nerd! Thanks for listening, and stay tuned for more Re-rasable episodes to come.

We’re back for the New Year, with a ton of Fresh Points and Tools of Our Trade -- and the first sections from our Zibaldoni!For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksErasable PatreonErasable Podcast Discord inviteAli Serra’s Blackwing extenderADHD is awesomeStaying Alive by Neil AstleyPort Protection TV seriesVintage Field NotesDraplin’s “Turquoise Tribute” Field Notes

For our last episode of 2024, we came together to talk about some of our favorite Tools of the Trade from the last year. Andy recounts his trip to Hawaii and Tim talks about a new segment we’re starting next year. For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to Patreon to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonLong After Dark Tom Petty notebook and PenField Notes: VintageNahvalur Christmas 2024 penBlackwing Lab 11.19.24More Adam Savage pencil huntingHow to ADHDNahvalur Nautilus fountain pensDiamine OnyxMusgrave Harvest ProBest American Food/travel writingMoonboundThree Body Problem TrilogyStories are WeaponsiA Writer NotebookYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@andy.wtf on BlueskyTim Wasem@TimWasem

Today on the show, we have a much needed catch up, with a freewheeling discussion around Tools of the Trade and Fresh Points. We cover the new Blackwing 574, the Field Notes Dream Journals, Bluesky, and even talk about something Andy's only dreamed of — Star Trek wine.For this episode, we recorded video, available to Patreon subscribers! If you’re a patron, head over to Patreon to see our faces and visual examples of many of the things we discuss. And if you’re not a patron, join us at any level and you can see this and other supplemental content at any time!Show Notes & LinksArab Strap bandGangs of London TV seriesStardew ValleyIt. Goes. So. Fast. : The Year of No Do-Overs by Mary Louise KellyThe Terraformers by Annalee NewitzPsalm for the Wild-Built by Becky ChambersI Cheerfully Refuse by Leif EngerField Notes Dream Journal Gift SetMade in BaltimoreBlackwing 574Find us on Bluesky!@andy.wtf@timwasem@bsky.social@johnnygamber@bsky.socialThe Stationery Folk Starter PackEberhard Faber Permapoint 182Star Trek wine advent calendar!Your HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@andy.wtf on BlueskyTim Wasem@TimWasem