SUMMER ISSUE 2018:

Tomorrow’s Apprentices

Almost every profession has involved some system of apprenticeship, and mastery rarely occurs without it. Some countries have kept this time-honored tradition alive; others have let it fade. We look across the globe at how various crafts are struggling to remain relevant, through different approaches to apprenticing. And, as usual, we also dive into a few fun subjects, beginning with the anatomy of stand-up comedy.

SUMMER ISSUE 2018:

Tomorrow’s Apprentices

Almost every profession has involved some system of apprenticeship, and mastery rarely occurs without it. Some countries have kept this time-honored tradition alive; others have let it fade. We look across the globe at how various crafts are struggling to remain relevant, through different approaches to apprenticing. And, as usual, we also dive into a few fun subjects, beginning with the anatomy of stand-up comedy.

SUMMER ISSUE 2018:

Tomorrow’s Apprentices

Almost every profession has involved some system of apprenticeship, and mastery rarely occurs without it. Some countries have kept this time-honored tradition alive; others have let it fade. We look across the globe at how various crafts are struggling to remain relevant, through different approaches to apprenticing. And, as usual, we also dive into a few fun subjects, beginning with the anatomy of stand-up comedy.

SUMMER ISSUE 2018:

Tomorrow’s Apprentices

Almost every profession has involved some system of apprenticeship, and mastery rarely occurs without it. Some countries have kept this time-honored tradition alive; others have let it fade. We look across the globe at how various crafts are struggling to remain relevant, through different approaches to apprenticing. And, as usual, we also dive into a few fun subjects, beginning with the anatomy of stand-up comedy.

Summer 2018

The Apprenticeship Ambivalence

Amidst political discussion about expanding apprenticeships in the U.S., two contradictory realities persist. One is a changing landscape, in both school and work, that increasingly needs a sound apprenticeship system; the other is the refusal by many parents to understand why a formal apprenticeship might make more sense for their children—and their finances—than four years of college.

Summer 2018

India’s Rug Saint

Nand Kishore Chaudhary has built one of India’s most successful hand-made carpet ventures by forging close ties to a community that most businesses on the continent shun: the poor, largely uneducated caste of citizens long referred to as “Untouchables.” To help his business grow, he’s also had to develop an apprenticeship system around India’s chronic battles with child labor. To Chaudhary, navigating these issues is the only way to honor the true meaning of sustainability. During a visit to Jaipur Rugs Company, our correspondent tries to figure out how all these pieces come together.

Summer 2016

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 hand-made perfection?

The Art of the Joke

When you watch a masterful stand-up comic, it seems like they are just naturally hilarious. Don’t kid yourself. This is hard work, requiring hours and hours of trial and error. As such, the art of comedy is a craft, not unlike making a fine piece of furniture.