Words

In the depths of London, a “toy theatre” born in the 1800s continues to stage regular performances. In their heyday, these productions drew London’s top writers and artists, creating Victorian England’s version of the modern PR campaign. Replicas of these miniature theatres are still for sale.

In 19th-century England, miniature theatrical productions were all the rage. And they weren’t just for kids—children and adults alike collected intricately printed paper cutouts of their favorite stage actors, along with paper versions of the theatres in which they performed, and acted out famous plays. Beyond just entertainment, these toy theatre kits served as the…

RoseMary Diaz (Santa Clara Pueblo), the guest editor for our special issue on Native American Craft: The Southwest, talks with Craftsmanship‘s managing editor, Laurie Weed, about her experiences growing up “half-Indian” in Northern New Mexico. Their conversation covers the cultural controversy around “art vs. craft,” and the story behind the stories of the magazine’s first…

This husband-and-wife journalism team spent 4 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…

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.…

With only a quick glance at today’s overheated political climate—the balkanized geography between red and blue states, a bombastic former president, the strident social media culture, all culminating in an 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 to revive the craft of conversation, so that Americans of different beliefs can start believing in each other again.

In his new book “Material: Making and the Art of Transformation”, master furniture maker and designer Nick Kary explores the roots of craft, through stories of makers and their essential materials.

Like many American cities, Durham, N.C. has been turning once-abandoned factories into tech hubs and microbreweries. Over the decades, it has also been building a shared commitment to the poor, the disenfranchised, and people of color. Barry Yeoman, a veteran journalist who has lived in and loved Durham since 1985, digs into the city’s soul. And he discovers an architecture underneath this community with some unusual layers.

As you can see from this video, Nate Bargatze has perfected the art of dry humor–a style that suits a country boy from Tennessee.