In this issue, the humble pencil and scotch tape both possess an unexpected beauty when portrayed as art. Paolo Bocchi's ‘Normal Wonders’ transform other common objects – a corkscrew, an anchor – into "poetic anonymities" through his verses, with images by Marco Manini. Giulio Iacchetti's ‘Short Notes’ are dedicated to the smoking pipe, with a selection of twelve iconic models. Stefania Di Maria collects works united by another simple yet powerful concept: the theme of ‘NO’. For the ‘Myths of Today’ column, Francesca Picchi chooses British industrial designer James Irvine (1958–2013), retracing the stages of his work.