December's Book

Ending our year with this book was merely a coincidence of closure. Our twelfth book in our twelve-month series, this one hit me harder than the rest. James Krenov’s “A Cabinetmaker’s Notebook” Isn’t someone telling you how to build, or how to think. Rather, a conversation with the reader. I felt like I was sitting in a kitchen, drinking tea with an old mentor who was trying to instill in me a strong work ethic while holding equal resolve for your own creative self, a line Krenov walked gracefully. It’s rare to have these conversations, like opening the door into the soul of a furniture piece by the person who carefully crafted each detail (and that door is on knife hinges). Krenov writes his emotions, memories, and critiques of his own work thoughtfully, but with an ease that only comes with complete understanding of oneself. There are a million messages inside these 130 pages, but my biggest takeaway would be the last few words. “Wood at its best remains to be discovered – and quietly enjoyed. The sheer exhaustion of skipping along the surface, of buying, buying, hurrying towards those recognizable bright things – all this may bring with it a need ( if ever so slight) to slow down, look around, and listen.” A message of hope in our world consumed by consumption.

The photography in this book had me in the grips of nostalgia. It made me realize something: we don’t look as hard at things when they are presented in high-resolution, colorful images. These pieces of grayscale make you focus on the movement of the grain rather than the color of the wood. Taking more time to study the piece affords you the ability to see the details you may have missed and instead use your imagination and understanding of wood to fill in the color of the piece. By studying these images, we are un-training ourselves from the quick intakes of images that programs like Instagram have accustomed us to. “Slow down, look around, and listen.”  

 Before reading this book, all I knew about James Krenov was that he was the man who seemingly perfected the hand plane, made furniture pieces speak with their beauty, and set up a school in one of the most beautiful locations on this earth that I would kill to attend. After reading it, I understand the person behind those things: the teenager carving wooden boat models, the man and his cats, and the teacher passing on information to his students, past and present. I will say it again, I love this book.

This month's meeting will be held on Sunday, January 4th at 7:00 PM EST. on Discord. Hope to see you all there.

Meeting Link: https://discord.gg/H2MwXET9nZ?event=1450970304846233802

-Owen