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 A Five Part Series from TTBOOK! |
RECONSIDERING CRAFTS
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Program 08-12-14-A |
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America's gone craft crazy. Everyone's knitting, or keeping scrapbooks; throwing pots or wood-working. And naturally, there are new chains of stores that carry all the supplies these crafters need, or think they do. In this hour, To the Best of Our Knowledge considers what we mean by the word craft." Does it mean a hand-made object that's almost art? Or could it be anything that's thoughtfully done to the very best of the doer's ability? Reconsidering crafts, next time, on To the Best of Our Knowledge.
SEGMENT 1:
Sociologist Richard Sennett's latest book is "the Craftsman" in which he makes the case that our definition of craft should be expanded to include any job a person commits to executing to the best of their abilities. He tells Steve Paulson that lots of working-class people care about what they do, with no expectation of material reward. Also, Anne Strainchamps reports on the new vogue for hand-made goods in America. She visits a major crafts show and speaks with vendors and shoppers, including the authors of "Handmade Nation" who also made a documentary film with the same title. Anne also speaks with Betsy Greer, author of "Knitting for Good!"
SEGMENT 2:
Jessica Helfand is the author of "Scrapbooks: An American History." She tells Jim Fleming that people constructed unique personal narratives out of whatever materials were at hand, long before there was a scrapbooking business to help them. These old scrapbooks are both precious and beautiful.
SEGMENT 3:
Kelly Lambert, author of "Lifting Depression: A Neuro-scientist's Approach to Activating Your Brain's Healing Power," tells Anne Strainchamps about her brain research into how using both hands on crafts projects can be as beneficial to the body as taking psychoactive medication. Also, Leonard Todd wrote "Carolina Clay: The Life and Legend of the Slave Potter Dave" to explore the history of two families - Potter Dave's and his own. Todd's ancestors owned Potter Dave during America's slavery days. Todd tells Steve Paulson some of the story and something about Dave's pots and his poetry.
CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 08-12-14-A.
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Books & CDs:
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Richard Sennett The Craftsman Yale University Press |
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Kelly Lambert Lifting Depression: A Neuroscientist's Hands-on Approach to Activating Your Brain's Healing Power Basic Books |
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| Leonard Todd Carolina Clay:
The Life and Legend of the Slave Potter Dave Norton |
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| Jessica Helfand Scrapbooks: An American History Yale University Press |  |
| Faythe Levine and Cortney
Heimerl Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft and Design
Princeton Architectural Press |
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| Betsy Greer Knitting for Good! Creating Change, Stitch by Stitch Trumpeter |  |
Websites:
- Handmade Nation: the Documentary
http://www.handmadenationmovie.com - Etsy.com
http://www.etsy.com/ - Craftivism.com
http://www.craftivism.com/ - Craftster.org
http://www.craftster.org - meetup.com
http://www.meetup.com - Ravelry.com
http://www.ravelry.com - Liam Hughes
http://www.LamplighterStudio.com
Music:
- after Sennett: Dominic Gaudious THE CLEARING Acoustic World Records 16232 5 “Far East Fusion” AND after HandMade Nation piece: same album, “Slap Me” www.dominicgaudious.com;
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after Helfand: Matt Auten NEW FOUND LAND Silent Planet Records SPRO 7012 www.silentplanetrecords.com “Leaf and Branch”
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after Lambert: Tin Hat Trio HELIUM Angel 7243 5 56935 2 5V “Old Grey Mare”
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After Todd: Come to the Mountain: Old Time Music for Modern Times Rounder 11661 0547-2 “Bane’s Grave” Tony Furtado and Dirk Powell
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Distribution dates: |
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