I wanted to take a moment to express my sadness on the loss of Susan Wirth. For those of you who don't know, Susan was a mainstay of pen shows around the country - known as the "Queen of Ink," an enthusiastic collector and knowledge bank of pens, she captivated the heart of the pen community over the years. I was not fortunate enough to know Susan, as I don't have a "local" pen show, but watching Brad Dowdy's YouTube video with her from a couple of years ago, I recall thinking, "this lady seems like she'd be a blast to hang out with!" Her passion for fountain pens, and quest to help people find the perfect pen and nib for their writing style seemed so evident, even in just a short YouTube video. The loss of one of our own is never easy, but I think it's fair to say that Susan's presence will always be felt in the community. I truly wish I'd gotten to meet her, but fortunately the community has many memories to keep her spirit very much alive.

I encourage you to read Ana Reinert's Post on Susan as well. She is putting together a book for the DC Pen show full of stories, anecdotes, and remembrances for Susan. If you'd like to share yours, you can reach out to Ana and submit those to her at chair [at] wellappointeddesk.com. I'd love to hear your stories about Susan in the comments below as well.