Peter Korn

Our idea of the craftsman as an independent, creative individual dates back to William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Romantic as that image may be, the status and income of a practicing "craftsman," whether boat builder, potter, weaver, or woodworker, has always been tenuous, and remains so to this day. As much as we might covet or applaud handmade products, they cannot, and do not, compete in the general marketplace. Craftspeople work at the margins of contemporary society, and the fault lines can, at times, offer a revealing perspective on the cultural landscape.In this moving account, we follow Korn's search for meaning as an Ivy-educated child of the middle class who finds employment as a novice carpenter on Nantucket, morphs into a self-employed designer/craftsman of fine furniture, takes a right turn into teaching woodworking and design at Colorado's Anderson Ranch Arts Center, and finally founds a school in Maine: The Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, an internationally respected, non-profit institution teaching design, furniture making, and related arts to over 400 students a year.This is not a "how-to" book in any sense. Korn wants to get at the why of craft, in particular, and at the satisfactions of creative work, in general – to understand their essential nature. How does the making of objects both reflect and refine our own identities? What is it about craft and creative work that makes them so rewarding? What is the nature of those rewards? How do the products of creative work inform society? In short, what does the process of making things reveal to us about ourselves? Korn draws on four decades of hands-on experience to answer these questions eloquently, and often poignantly, in this personal, introspective, and revealing inquiry.

The Education of a Craftsman

Why We Make Things and why it Matters

Why We Make Things and Why It Matters

In this moving account, Peter Korn explores the nature and rewards of creative practice. We follow his search for meaning as an Ivy-educated child of the middle class who finds employment as a novice carpenter on Nantucket, transitions to self-employment as a designer/maker of fine furniture, takes a turn at teaching and administration at Colorado's Anderson Ranch Arts Center, and finally founds a school in Maine: the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, an internationally respected, non-profit institution. Furniture making, practiced as a craft in the twenty-first century, is a decidedly marginal occupation. Yet the view from the periphery can be illuminating. For Korn, the challenging work of bringing something new and meaningful into the world through one's own volition – whether in the arts, the kitchen, or the marketplace – is exactly what generates the authenticity, meaning, and fulfillment for which many of us yearn. This is not a "how-to" book in any sense. Korn wants to get at the why of craft in particular, and the satisfactions of creative work in general, to under¬stand their essential nature. How does the making of objects shape our identities? How do the prod¬ucts of creative work inform society? In short, what does the process of making things reveal to us about ourselves? Korn draws on four decades of hands-on experience to answer these questions eloquently, and often poignantly, in this personal, introspective, and revealing book.

Based on a two-week course in woodworking fundamentals offered at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Camden, Maine, this book takes a traditional approach to teaching, with the idea that learning basic skills is essential to craftsmanship. In the process, the book covers all the bases--from working with hand tools to cutting dovetails. Includes two complete projects: a bench and a small cabinet.

Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship

Woodworking Basics

Kathi Keville

This safe and practical guide brings herbalism into the 21st century-an authoritative handbook to using herbs in your life, from the kitchen to the medicine cabinet to the dressing table. Popular interest in herbs is growing at a fast pace as scientists confirm what herb users have known for centuries: Herbs can play a significant role in healing and preventing disease. Long used as flavorful condiments in our favorite dishes, leading herbalist Kathi Keville uncovers the power pf herbs as health and beauty aids. With recommendations from a variety of specialists in natural healing, Herbs for Health and Healing is a comprehensive and authoritative health care guide filled with remedies that have a proven track record.

Peter Korn

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