09/28/2026
What's on the desk of a Pulitzer Prize winner? Senior Editor and Strategist Andrew Smith gives us a peek into the work life of an expert writer:
✒️A classy and functional fountain pen and a yellow legal pad for notes. (I know this seems like two things, but to me they are a unit.) Today's pen is a Pelikan Demonstrator, but it's a different one every day.
🚰A bottle of water. Hydration is good for thinking and avoiding kidney stones. My current bottle of choice is made by Purist. Stays cold all day.
🎶Music, played randomly from a playlist of thousands. Helps me block out distractions.
🥜Snacks, hopefully in moderation (but not always). Salty or chocolate is best. Can't go wrong with Costco's mixed salted nuts, but for a long time I overdid it with peanut M&Ms, the perfect garbage food when consumed in the right color order.
⌚A nice watch to admire and also, you know, keep track of time. Like the pens, these get rotated. Today's is an Oris Big Crown Pointer Date.