David Rees, a man who draws political cartoons for Rolling Stone and other periodicals as one means to make his way in the world, wants to tell you about another way to make an impact: artisanal pencil sharpening. He does this, shaves wooden pencils ice-pick sharp, bags the shavings, then sends them back to you in a baggie he seals with an artisanal twist-tie and packages with a certificate of authenticity. You pay $15 for this if you reside in the U.S. or Canada, $18 if Asia or E.U.
Now he want to tell you how to do this, so that one day you might sharpen pencils that will create art, either by your own hand or by the hand of someone around you, someone you might someday lend a pencil to when they're in need. Maybe the next Franzen is posted up in the orange seat on the train, sitting next to you, and that person, caught up in an art fever, writing feverishly, asks you for a pencil because their poorly-sharpened tip has only just snapped away—you help that person. That person makes great art. You participate. Democracy. The future. Beauty.
Rees' shop is in Brooklyn. Here's the website if you want to do this: artisanalpencilsharpening.com
Also, this might be a joke. He's a cartoonist who likes to laugh. We make no promises. (Though it should be noted his website insists it isn't a joke, which sounds exactly like what someone who was having a real knee-slapper at the world's expense might say to prolong the knee slapping.)
