New (old) trend alert: letter writing and analog communication. This Thursday, read a feature from Patty Wetli about the surprisingly thriving stationery business in Chicago. Plus, more stories from WTTW News.
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The stationery market is booming, as seen at Chicago's first ever Stationery Fest in March. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)
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For those who may have predicted that email and text would spell the death of stationery products, think again. All manner of things associated with analog communication are having a moment and it's not just pens: old-school wax seals (and the wax itself), stationery sets and postcards; notebooks, journals and planners; and accessories like pencil cases, stickers and washi tape. There are even accessories for the accessories, including coatings that make it easier to write on washi tape.Chicago’s stationers, from old-timers to a crop of newcomers, are riding the wave.
As for what’s fueling the revival, and who, well there are about as many answers as there are pen brands. Stationery nerds defy easy pigeonholing. Some devotees are rebelling against the encroachment of digital technology into all aspects of modern life; some are indulging in treat culture with a $10 pen here, a $20 notebook there. And still others are scratching a creative itch by decorating notebooks with stickers or adding a flourish of washi tape to an envelope. There are pen collectors; people into junk journaling, art journaling or bullet journaling; and correspondence junkies who belong to pen pal groups and postcard clubs. Many bought a Leuchtturm1917 A5 journal after pop star Chappell Roan carried one onstage to
accept a Grammy award.
Much of the commerce within the estimated $147 billion U.S. stationery goods market, as estimated by Forbes, takes place online. But urban centers like Chicago have the population, be it residents or visitors, to support brick-and-mortar stationers — businesses that trade almost exclusively in stationery products, versus gift shops with a broader array of merchandise.
Some local brick-and-mortar stationery stores to check out:
Amber Favorite has been running her own letterpress greeting card company — A. Favorite Design — since 2004 and opened an Albany Park stationery store in 2019.
Tyler McCall opened Paper & Pencil in Andersonville in 2023 with his husband Eric Campbell.
Aloysius Schmidt founded the Loop's Atlas Stationers in 1939 on a hunch: People would always need red pens to correct mistakes.
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Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Jerome Powell takes the stage to speak during an event hosted by the Economic Club of Chicago, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo / Erin Hooley)
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Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the U.S. central bank won’t bend to any political pressure — and warned about the significant uncertainty that might be ahead given the whipsaw tariffs, immigration crackdowns and changes to fiscal policy and regulation in the early months of the second Trump administration.
Speaking at an Economic Club of Chicago luncheon Wednesday, Powell said that despite the instability, the nation’s economy is still in a “solid position,” in particular its labor market. But he acknowledged that while the rate of inflation is slowing, the sharp price increases consumers have faced over the last several years are still hitting Americans in their pocketbooks. And, he says, it’s too soon to tell how much President Donald Trump’s tariffs will raise the prices of goods.
“These policies are still evolving, and their effects on the economy remain highly uncertain,” Powell said. “The level of tariff increases announced so far is significantly larger than anticipated, and the same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth.”
Powell, who assumed the chairmanship in 2018, joked that it’s been “an eventful seven years” on the job. While he said that the effects of tariffs are likely to cause at least short-term economic pain, he warned that it’s too soon to say just how much they might affect consumers and how long those effects will last.
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Kat Abughazaleh and Jan Schakowsky. (Provided)
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Progressive media star Kat Abughazaleh raised more than $378,000 to fuel her bid to oust U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, but only a fraction of that massive haul came from residents of Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, according to a WTTW News analysis.
Abughazaleh, 26, who rose to prominence by making lively TikTok videos critiquing Fox News and Republicans, out raised Schakowsky, 80, during the first quarter of the year, according to reports filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission reflecting contributions between Jan. 1 and April 1.
Schakowsky, who has represented the district since 1999, raised approximately $213,000, about 57% of Abughazaleh’s total, records show. Schakowsky has not yet announced whether she plans to run for a 15th term in office.
Despite Abughazaleh’s fundraising prowess, her first campaign finance report includes new evidence that she is likely to face an uphill battle. Abughazaleh’s campaign reported just $3,250 in contributions of more than $200 from people who live in the 9th Congressional District, less than 1% of the total amount raised by the campaign, federal records show. In all, just 17 Illinois residents gave Abughazaleh’s campaign $19,776 in contributions of more than $200, approximately 5.2% of the total amount raised by the campaign, federal records show.
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Back in the Day: April 17, 1985 - Cubs 3B Coach Don Zimmer Claims Umpire Joe West Assaulted Him
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Baseball is a strange game and anything can happen. In my years watching the sport, I’ve seen a Randy Johnson fastball hit an in-flight bird, the Cubs win a World Series in 2016 and just this year I witnessed a Canadian goose make a nest in the Wrigley Field bleachers. On this day 40 years ago, Cubs third base coach Don Zimmer claimed he was treated “like a sumo wrestler” by umpire Joe West, who he claimed grabbed him by the back of the neck and threw him to the ground during a play in order to make the call at third. Sure, sometimes you’ll see coaches argue calls with umps or benches clear for a brawl but a physical altercation between an ump and a coach is rare. Zimmer was ejected and West claimed he did nothing wrong. Until his death in 2014, Zimmer stayed in professional baseball, ending his career as a senior advisor for the Tampa Bay Rays. West, who would eject Zimmer twice more after this incident, retired in 2022. Despite the drama, the Cubs
won that game in 1985 against the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4.
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This Week’s Arts and Culture Events |
Each Thursday, WTTW News arts correspondent Marc Vitali highlights the city’s must-see cultural events.
Between Easter, Passover and 4/20, there will be a lot of foodstuffs consumed this weekend. But bread alone won’t sustain you, so make a meal for your mind in Chicago’s cultural kitchen – below are three picks, the specials of the week from our giant, ever-changing menu.
“Act Well Your Part” - Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
Fact: social reformer Jane Addams played a key role in the development of theater in Chicago – and ultimately even set the stage for the birth of improv. Here’s an exhibition (and related festival) that explores the impact of Hull House since the 1890s. Check the museum calendar for performances, workshops and chats about this fascinating, civic-minded history of theater. Ongoing
“Prayer for the French Republic” – Northlight Theatre/Skokie
A standout cast of Chicago stage veterans brings to life the story of a family. It’s 1944 and a Jewish couple in Paris awaits news of missing relatives. In the 21st century, their ancestors consider the effects of a hatred that spans generations. Currently in previews, this Chicago-area premiere tells of multiple histories encountering the legacy of antisemitism. Through May 11
“Africa Out West” – Kehrein Center for the Arts
The Old Town School of Folk Music presents West African music performed by a pair of ensembles – namely, Farafina Kan and Bala Fanga. Expect drums, dancers and plenty of balafon, a xylophone with resonators made from gourds. Also with a local youth djembe orchestra and a DJ. It’s a free concert, part of the Old Town School’s Future Folk Festival. Sunday, April 20 at 4 pm.
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This year, lawmakers in Springfield and Washington D.C. are attempting to make daylight saving
time permanent. What do you think? Let us know and tell us why.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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