Craftsmanship Quarterly
By Craftsmanship Initiative
Craftsmanship QuarterlyNov 26, 2020
Paul and Elizabeth Kaiser on Healing our Soil, and Going Beyond Organic
Craftsmanship's founding editor Todd Oppenheimer sits down with Paul and Elizabeth Kaiser, a husband-and-wife farming team who have been at the forefront of a promising approach to growing food called regenerative agriculture. Hear about the success of the movement they helped start; some mind boggling results from recent testing on their soil and produce; and how they harness Mother Nature to make their land more productive than any human technology ever could.
This episode is part of the series of “Artisan Interviews” produced by Craftsmanship Quarterly, in which we bring you conversations with the artisans behind the stories, and with those who write about them.
You can visit the Kaisers' website at www.singingfrogsfarm.com. And, you can read our original 2015 article on the Kaisers titled, "The Drought Fighter."
Written by CRAFTSMANSHIP EDITORS
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by TODD OPPENHEIMER WITH PAUL AND ELIZABETH KAISER
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
Cover image by MICHAEL WOOLSEY PHOTOGRAPHY
The Glass Builder
Ann Morhauser started with nothing but debt in a tiny glassware studio in Watsonville, a coastal community in central California. Now her work is in stores across the country—and in the Smithsonian. What is her secret to artisanal success?
"The Glass Builder" originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia, online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by PEGGY TOWNSEND
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by AVANTHIKA SRINIVASAN
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
The Hidden Powers of a Sheep
Not only is wool unusually cozy and durable, but its creators (the sheep) can help regenerate the world’s drying, fire-prone landscapes. The good news: a wool revival seems to be underway.
"The Hidden Powers of a Sheep" originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia, online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by JUDITH D. SCHWARTZ
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by CHRIS EGUSA
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
A Black Artist’s Haven on a (mostly) White Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard has long been seen as a summer retreat for the East Coast elite. The island’s reality, however, is a far more complex environment that has welcomed and inspired generations of Black Americans, including an artist and doll maker named Janice Frame.
"A Black Artist’s Haven on a (mostly) White Vineyard" originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia, online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by SKIP FINLEY
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by JOSHUA SIROTIAK
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
The Toolbelt Masters
With gumption, insight, and brilliant use of social media, a few guys in Virginia built an operation that makes what could be the world’s finest toolbelts.
"The Toolbelt Masters" originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia, online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by LORRAINE SANDERS
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by AVANTHIKA SRINIVASAN
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
The New Sign Painters
The commercial signs of yesteryear, which were all painted by hand, offer a kind of beauty, personality, and longevity that today’s industrial signs have been unable to duplicate. While exploring what’s left of the old sign-painting traditions, we stumbled upon small but lively seeds of revival.
"The New Sign Painters" originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia, online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by LAURA FRASER
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by GÖRAN NORQUIST
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
James & Deborah Fallows on ‘Our Towns’: a Craftsmanship Artisan Interview
James and Deborah Fallows spent four years crisscrossing the United States in a small plane, visiting dozens of small towns. The stories they found were surprising—and entirely contrary to the narrative we've all read about in the news. They saw communities engaged in a vigorous process of economic renewal—a stunning portrait, in sum, of an America reinventing itself, literally from the ground up. They published their findings in “Our Towns: a 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America,” (Penguin Random House, 2018) and produced an HBO documentary of the same name in 2021. They also founded Our Towns Civic Foundation, a nonprofit initiative that continues their work.
Because their story overlaps so forcefully with the theme of our Winter 2022 issue, “Reviving Our Abandoned Small Towns”, we snagged Jim and Deb for a sit-down interview with Todd Oppenheimer, founder and executive director of The Craftsmanship Initiative.
This episode is part of the series of “Artisan Interviews,” produced by Craftsmanship Quarterly, in which we bring you conversations with the artisans behind the stories, and with those who write about them.
Written by CRAFTSMANSHIP EDITORS
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by TODD OPPENHEIMER WITH JAMES & DEBORAH FALLOWS
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
The Craft of Sustainable Rice Farming
The Isbell family of Arkansas has spent decades experimenting with new ways to grow rice. In the process, they pioneered American-grown rice for sushi and sake, along with farming techniques that can save water and help slow climate change.
"The Craft of Sustainable Rice Farming" originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia, online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by DAVID RAMSEY
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by MIKE EGUSA
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
The Secret to Vintage Jeans
In November, 2017, the doors closed on North Carolina’s White Oak plant — one of the first, and (almost) the last, big textile mill in the U.S. to make true, vintage-style denim. Our correspondent tracks down the secret to classic jeans, and their unexpected future.
"The Secret to Vintage Jeans" originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by BRIAN HOWE, with updated reporting by TODD OPPENHEIMER
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by CHRIS EGUSA
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN
Parts & Recreation
What makes people devote hours to the frustrating task of gluing together pieces so small you have to pick them up with tweezers? And does this obsessive hobby even matter anymore? To find out, a devotee of the art dives into Revell’s world of plastic models.
"Parts & Recreation" originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by JEFF GREENWALD
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by MITCH GREENBERG
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
Historical Clothing’s Comeback
A collection of sewing enthusiasts, dedicated to the anachronistic art of making old-fashioned clothes, stumbles onto a path that revives quality, comfort, ecological consciousness—and respect for the female form in all its varieties.
"Historical Clothing’s Comeback" originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by BETH WINEGARNER
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by AVANTHIKA SRINIVASAN
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN
Could Co-Ops Solve Income Inequality?
In the Basque country of Northern Spain, the Mondragon Corporation—the world’s largest co-operative business enterprise—has found ways to weather economic crises, avoid severe income inequality, and build long-term worker loyalty. Why don’t more businesses follow “the Mondragon model”?
"Could Co-Ops Solve Income Inequality?" originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by ROBERTO LOVATO
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by GÖRAN NORQUIST
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN
Fibershed's Rebecca Burgess on Slow Fashion and Place-Based Economies: a Craftsmanship Artisan Interview
Rebecca Burgess is the executive director of Fibershed, an internationally recognized nonprofit focused on transforming the clothing and textile system, the author of two books, and a vocationally trained weaver and natural dyer. She sat down with Craftsmanship Quarterly to talk about price and privilege when it comes to "slow fashion," why the world can no longer afford fast fashion, and what she learned from a year of only wearing clothing produced within 150 miles of her home.
This episode is part of our series “Artisan Interviews,” in which we bring you conversations with the artisans behind the stories, and with those who write about them.
Craftsmanship Quarterly is a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
The Human Cost of Recycled Cotton
Everyone in the fashion world wants to find a more sustainable, environmentally friendly way to make cotton clothes — or a benign (and comfy) alternative. Some are on the brink of succeeding. But almost no one understands these innovations’ social costs.
"The Human Cost of Recycled Cotton," written and narrated by Alden Wicker, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Editor’s note: This story was updated from the original by the author for re-release in our Fall 2021 issue.
Written by ALDEN WICKER
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by ALDEN WICKER
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN
Alden Wicker on Sustainable Fashion and Toxic Clothes: a Craftsmanship Artisan Interview
This episode is part of our series “Artisan Interviews,” in which we bring you conversations with the artisans behind the stories, and with those who write about them.
Alden Wicker, award-winning journalist, sustainable fashion expert, and founder of EcoCult, talks about her disillusionment with the idea of “voting with your dollars;" why the cotton industry is in disarray; and some concerning new research around toxicity and chemicals in fashion.
Craftsmanship Quarterly is a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
Argentina’s Textile Crusader
If you want an unusually cozy scarf or sweater made of natural fiber, merino wool or alpaca are the usual choices. But what about the guanaco, the alpaca’s little-known cousin, which grows even finer fleece? For Adriana Marina, the guanaco’s time has come to be South America’s finest source for sustainable textiles.
"Argentina’s Textile Crusader" written and narrated by Alden Wicker, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by ALDEN WICKER
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by ALDEN WICKER
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
Alden Wicker is an award-winning journalist and sustainable fashion expert.
The Perfect Pen
Fountain pens have always served as the quintessential combination of beauty, tradition, and dexterity. But did you know they’re also tools of environmental consciousness? Join our tour of the fountain pen’s history, infinite varieties, and remarkable powers. With tips for shopping and maintenance.
"The Perfect Pen" written by Tim Redmond, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by TIM REDMOND
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by CHRIS EGUSA
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
The Lost Art of Traditional Bow Hunting
As interest in hunting with a bow and arrow has risen, much of the gear has gone high-tech. Meanwhile, a small band of purists like Gabriel Miossi have turned to a traditional Native American weapon: the stick bow.
"The Lost Art of Traditional Bow Hunting" written by David Munro, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by MEGHAN WARD
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by Göran Norquist
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN
Let Tinkerbell Tinker
As the economy’s reliance on innovation grows, the offering of toys for girls remains–well, somewhat less than innovative. Fortunately, a few smart women are starting to solve this problem by reviving the time-honored principles of tinkering, this time for girls.
"Let Tinkerbell Tinker" written by David Munro, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by DAVID MUNRO
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by Göran Norquist
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
Led by the Nose
In a growing number of artisanal shops dotted around the globe, small-scale perfume artists are bottling a world of scents left untapped by commercial fragrance houses.
"Led by the Nose" written by Barbara Tannenbaum, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by BARBARA TANNENBAUM
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by AVANTHIKA SRINIVASAN
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
The Soul of French Invention
An American woodworker’s love affair with “the best” (and perhaps least well-known) sculpture museum in Paris – and what the affair taught him.
"The Soul of French Invention" written by Gary Rogowski, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
The Reed Artist
A writer searches Istanbul's cafes and alleys for the king of the ney, an enigmatic — and at times, endangered — flute that has long been a mainstay of Muslim musical traditions.
"The Reed Artist," written by Rollo Romig, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by ROLLO ROMIG
Narrated by GORAN NORQUIST
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / NEYZEN EMIN
Go-Go Music, with Shorty Corleone and Roy Battle: A Craftsmanship Quarterly Artisan Interview
Go-go music is a rhythm-heavy blend of funk, soul, and blues that is at the very heart of Washington, D.C.'s Black community. And while the style has been influencing Top 40 hits for decades, it's little known outside the District. In this episode of Craftsmanship Quarterly's Artisan Interviews, two key artists in the go-go scene, Shorty Corleone and Roy Battle, discuss go-go's distinctive sound, growing up in the scene, and why a live show is not to be missed.
For a more in-depth look at go-go music, check out "Washington, D.C.’s Homegrown Funk: Go-Go Music", written by Alona Wartofsky. Craftsmanship Quarterly is a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Introduction by: Chris Egusa
Produced by: Chris Egusa
Music by: Shorty Corleone, Roy Battle, Rare Essence, Chuck Brown, Grover Washington, Jr., Killa Cal, Hot Cold Sweat, The Pure Elegance Band, TOB
India’s Rug Saint
Nand Kishore Chaudhary built Jaipur Rugs into a runaway success by working closely with India’s poorest citizens, and by developing an apprenticeship system around India’s chronic battles with child labor. How do such difficult pieces fit into India’s social and economic puzzle?
"India's Rug Saint," written by Cathryn Jakobson Ramin, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by CATHRYN JAKOBSON RAMIN
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by AVANTHIKA SRINIVASAN
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
Greece’s Secret to Perfect Honey
While prosperous countries like the U.S. have struggled to keep their honeybees alive, Greece continues to produce what many consider the world’s finest honey. What’s the Greeks’ secret? And why can’t everyone else keep up?
"Greece’s Secret to Perfect Honey," written by Robert Lovato, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by Rob Waters
Introduction by Chris Egusa
Narrated by Izaak Sibley
Produced by Chris Egusa
Music by Mike Snowden / Blue Dot Sessions
Real Film Strikes Back
Against all odds, and despite the best efforts of Hollywood and Silicon Valley, old-fashioned, analog, motion-picture film is suddenly making a comeback. What’s the magic in this old medium that digital technology can’t seem to match?
Real Film Strikes Back, written by David Munro, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Introduction by: Chris Egusa
Narrated by: Goran Norquist
Produced by: Chris Egusa
Music by: Mike Snowden
The Hydraulic Genius of Shari’ah Law
You’ve probably never heard the term “acequia,” but it describes one of the oldest methods of irrigation on the planet. Too bad American ranchers have largely ignored it.
"The Hydraulic Genius of Shari’ah Law," written by Robert Lovato, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by Robert Lovato
Introduction by Chris Egusa
Narrated by Mitch Greenberg
Produced by Chris Egusa
Music by Mike Snowden
The Wizard of Old Wheels
As today’s motorcycles become more high-tech, the simplicity of a vintage bike becomes more appealing. Among the simplest are Japanese models from the 1970s, particularly the Hondas. That’s why people visit Dave Stefani, whose San Francisco shop looks like a mechanical surgery ward.
"The Wizard of Old Wheels", written by Todd Oppenheimer, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by Owen Edwards
Introduction by Chris Egusa
Narrated by Göran Norquist
Produced by Chris Egusa
Music by Mike Snowden / Blue Dot Sessions
Occupy Your Bathroom
One man’s quiet fight to save your face, your bank account, and the environment from an endless case of shaving rash.
"Occupy Your Bathroom", written by Todd Oppenheimer, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by TODD OPPENHEIMER
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by TODD OPPENHEIMER
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
Is Digital Craftsmanship an Oxymoron?
On a funky old pier along San Francisco’s waterfront, Autodesk, a world leader in digital tools for makers, runs a futuristic prototype shop that may be redefining the meaning of craftsmanship.
"Is Digital Craftsmanship an Oxymoron?", written by Todd Oppenheimer, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You can find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and resources on our site.
Written by TODD OPPENHEIMER
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by IZAAK SIBLEY
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS
The Celluloid Gumshoe
Eddie Muller has dedicated his life to finding, restoring, and re-releasing lost films of the great Film Noir era of the 1940s and ’50s. His goal: the preservation of our cinematic history, well beyond film noir.
"The Celluloid Gumshoe", written by Barbara Tannenbaum, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You can find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and resources on our site.
Written by Barbara Tannenbaum
Introduction by Anh Oppenheimer
Narrated by Dinah Berkeley
Produced by Larry Rosen
Music by Mike Snowden of “The Cigar Box Guitar Maker”
Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions
The Soul of the Italian Shoe
In Venice, Italy, a city built for endless walking, a determined young woman named Daniela Ghezzo has mastered the rare art of simultaneously beautifying and comforting the human foot.
"The Soul of the Italian Shoe", written by Erla Zwingle, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You can find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and resources on our site.
Written by ERLA ZWINGLE
Introduction by SUMMER BROWN
Narrated by DINAH BERKELEY
Produced by LARRY ROSEN
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN of “The Cigar Box Guitar Maker”
The Architecture of Trust
With only a quick glance at today’s overheated political climate—the balkanized geography between red and blue states, the bombastic former president, the strident social media culture, all culminating in the recent attack on the U.S. Capitol—you get an unmistakable message: We don’t know how to talk with each other anymore, let alone build common ground. An expert in linguistics explores our new argumentative culture to find ways that Americans of different beliefs can start believing in each other again.
"The Architecture of Trust", written by Michael Erard, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You can find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and resources on our site.
Written by MICHAEL ERARD
Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA
Narrated by MITCHELL GREENBERG
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN OF “THE CIGAR BOX GUITAR MAKER”
Women Who Embroider the Air
On a small island near Venice, the fine art of hand-sewn lace somehow remains alive. Our correspondent visits with the master craftswomen of Burano to learn their history, their secrets, and the prospects for their future.
Women Who Embroider the Air originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine focused on master artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge, and free of advertising.
Written by ERLA ZWINGLE
Introduction by ANH OPPENHEIMER
Narrated by NANCY LEBRUN
Produced by LARRY ROSEN
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN OF “THE CIGAR BOX GUITAR MAKER”
Additional Music by BLUE DOT SESSIONS
The New Water Alchemists
Animals, plants, soil, and air have long collaborated to regulate our climate by stimulating “the water cycle.” They have also helped control natural disasters like the wildfires now raging in Australia — until we disrupted their partnership. The good news is that there is a clear pathway to reconciliation.
The New Water Alchemists originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine focused on master artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge, and free of advertising.
Written by JUDITH D. SCHWARTZ
Introduction by SUMMER BROWN
Narrated by DINAH BERKELEY
Produced by LARRY ROSEN
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN OF “THE CIGAR BOX GUITAR MAKER”
A Black Entrepreneur Finds Her “Vegan Soul” — in Idaho: A Craftsmanship Quarterly Artisan Interview
When Mae Gaines moved from Los Angeles, CA, to Boise, Idaho, she expected her life would be different. What she didn't anticipate was the response when she opened Boise's first — and only — vegan soul food restaurant.
*Trigger warning: This episode contains an offensive racial slur, repeated by the interviewee as she describes a real-life incident of verbal assault. We chose to leave the word as spoken in the context of the story. The episode has been marked 'explicit' to ensure that listeners are aware of it; there is no other offensive language or adult content in this story.
This podcast is a supplement to the story, Soul Food Gets the Vegan Treatment, written by Terry Collins and published in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine focused on master artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge, and free of advertising.
Introduction by MELANIE EVERSLEY
Narrated by TERRY COLLINS & SHAKEEMA SMALLS, with MAE GAINES
Produced by CHRIS EGUSA
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN OF “THE CIGAR BOX GUITAR MAKER”
The Return of the Harmonica
In the 1970s, Hohner, the world’s largest harmonica manufacturer, changed its flagship model, and in the process its signature sound. A few musicians and harp customizers waged a quiet rebellion. And they won.
The Return of the Harmonica originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine focused on master artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge, and free of advertising.
Written by BEN MARKS
Introduction by SUMMER BROWN
Narrated by GORAN NORQUIST
Produced by LARRY ROSEN
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN
The Norwegian Sweater Detective
In a postcard-perfect valley in southern Norway, Annemor Sundbø nurtures her life’s work: old garments, paintings, and other clues to the myths and meaning woven for centuries into Norwegian sweaters. Now she’s trying to bring back the sheep that used to sustain this time-honored craft.
The Norwegian Sweater Detective originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine focused on master artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge, and free of advertising.
Written by SARAH POLLOCK
Introduction by SUMMER BROWN
Narrated by AVANTHIKA SRINIVASAN
Produced by LARRY ROSEN
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN OF “THE CIGAR BOX GUITAR MAKER”
The World’s Greatest Goldbeater
Marino Menegazzo hammers gold leaf by hand into sheets 200 times thinner than a human hair. He works in the same studio where Titian, one of Italy’s great Renaissance artists, once lived and painted. Now Menegazzo’s craft, where the hand can still beat a machine, is on the edge of extinction.
The World's Greatest Goldbeater originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine focused on master artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge, and free of advertising.
Written by ERLA ZWINGLE
Introduction by SUMMER BROWN
Narrated by DINAH BERKELEY
Produced by LARRY ROSEN
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN
The VW Doctor Is In
In a corrugated tin shed that somehow survived California’s massive fires in Sonoma Valley, Gary Freeman labors to keep old VW Beetles and vans—the cars that defined the counterculture of the 1960s—chugging along. Some become great “daily drivers” for as little as $15,000; some get auctioned for more than $200,000. It’s all part of one man’s quest for automotive immortality.
The VW Doctor Is In originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine focused on artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Introduction by ANH OPPENHEIMER
Narrated by GORAN NORQUIST
Produced by LARRY ROSEN
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN
The Rawhide Artist
Bill Black has poured his life into refining a simple piece of handmade horse gear called a hackamore. Although the device is rarely used anymore, it can teach a horse to work cattle with unusual brilliance, and beauty.
The Rawhide Artist originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine focused on artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Written by ANDY RIEBER
Introduction by SUMMER BROWN
Narrated by DINAH BERKELEY
Produced by LARRY ROSEN
Music by MIKE SNOWDEN OF “THE CIGAR BOX GUITAR MAKER”
Mexico's Master Guitar Makers
The now iconic white guitar made famous by the Disney film, “Coco,” was created in Paracho, a small Mexican town where almost every shop makes guitars. Underneath the new icon lies centuries of craftsmanship.
Mexico's Master Guitar Makers, written by Laura Fraser, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Introduction by: Anh Oppenheimer
Narrated by: Adriana Morga
Produced by: Adriana Morga
Music by: Mike Snowden
Do the Most Interesting Musical Pipes Come from Ireland?
While Scotland is branded by its famous Highland bagpipes, Ireland has long made a very different kind that plays a much wider range of music. Meet the indefatigable, obsessive masters of Irish uilleann pipes.
Do the Most Interesting Musical Pipes Come from Ireland?, written by Larry Gallagher, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Introduction by: Anh Oppenheimer
Narrated by: Mitchell Greenberg
Produced by: Larry Rosen
Music by: Mike Snowden; John Butler
The Toolbelt Masters
With gumption, insight, and brilliant use of social media, a few guys in Virginia built an operation that makes what could be the world’s finest toolbelts. Meet "The Toolbelt Masters of Diamondback".
The Toolbelt Masters, written by Lorraine Sanders, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Introduction by: Anh Oppenheimer
Narrated by: Nancy LeBrun
Produced by: Larry Rosen
Music by: Mike Snowden
Japan’s Gorgeous, Precarious Fishing Poles
While Japanese master craftsmen command up to $100,000 for turning bamboo into a fishing pole, aspiring younger makers can barely find anyone to take them on as apprentices. And this isn't the only time-honored Japanese craft at the brink of extinction. How could this happen in a country that, for centuries, has served as a model of handmade perfection?
Japan's Gorgeous, Precarious Fishing Poles, written by Yukari Iwatani Kane, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Introduction by: Anh Oppenheimer
Narrated by: Nancy LeBrun
Produced by: Larry Rosen
Music by: Mike Snowden
The Cigar Box Guitar Maker
When a promising rock musician tired of the road and the pressure, he gave up music and got a job at a hardware store. Then one day, he had a revelation....
The Cigar Box Guitar Maker, written by Nancy LeBrun, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Introduction by: Anh Oppenheimer
Narrated by: Nancy LeBrun
Produced by: Larry Rosen
Music by: Mike Snowden, with songs by Lightnin' Hopkins, C.B. Soars, and A.J. Gaither
The Healing Power of Bello
On the Northeastern coast of Italy, an unusual drug treatment community uses craftsmanship to rehabilitate some of Europe’s most intractable drug addicts. San Patrignano — or "SanPa" — was founded more than 40 years ago by a hotelier who inherited a 200-hectare estate and wanted to do something about the epidemic of addiction in nearby Rimini. He began by inviting drug addicts to his estate for Christmas, then bringing them home to live with his family. Eventually, he founded an informal, alternative medicine free clinic at their weekend farm, and from there, he began building the community.
The Healing Power of Bello, written by LAURA FRASER, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Introduction by: Summer Brown
Narrated by: Avanthika Srinivasan
Produced by: Larry Rosen
Music by: Mike Snowden of The Cigar Box Guitar Maker.
The Power of the Scribe
Spiritual faith has long been shaped by the lettering on a religion’s sacred texts. This is particularly the case with Judaism, so we visited three Hebrew scribes—in Jerusalem, New York City, and the liberal enclave of Berkeley, California—to understand why such laborious traditions continue.
The Power of the Scribe, written by BRYCE T. BAUER with contributions by LYNN HOLSTEIN and TODD OPPENHEIMER, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Introduction by: Anh Oppenheimer
Narrated by: Mitchell Greenberg
Produced by: Larry Rosen
Music by: Mike Snowden of The Cigar Box Guitar Maker.
Artisanal Homemade Bread, Made Simple
Confined to our homes during the Covid-19 quarantine, many of us have realized this is an ideal time to start baking our own bread. The idea has spread so fast that stores are running out of flour and yeast. But fear not. Resources abound for how to make your own yeast, and even your own flour.
Artisanal Homemade Bread Made Simple, written by Todd Oppenheimer, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Introduction by: Anh Oppenheimer
Narrated by: Todd Oppenheimer
Produced by: Larry Rosen
Music by: Mike Snowden of The Cigar Box Guitar Maker.
The Bug Whisperer
Mark Sturges doesn’t advertise. Clients have to find him by word of mouth, but find him they do. He’s become a master of an agricultural art as old as agriculture itself: basic compost.
The Bug Whisperer, written by Kristin Ohlson, originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos, audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.
Introduction by: Summer Brown
Narrated by: Dinah Berkeley
Produced by: Larry Rosen