March's Book

To recognize and honor National Women’s History Month, we are reading “Joinery, Joists and Gender: A History of Woodworking for the 21st Century” By Deirdre Visser. A book conceptualized after the group show “Making a Seat at the Table” held at Philadelphia’s Center for Art in Wood, which highlighted works from forty-three  women and non-gender-conforming artists. Visser’s book bisects itself, opening with a focus on the history of women in woodworking as far back as 770 BC. Working through the years, the book then pivots to the modern day and looks into contemporary makers shaping the future.

Navva Milliken writes in the book's forward, “A work of great care, this book is a foundational text that lays the groundwork and fills the gaps of documentation upon which a discourse is built. Much is said about the power of representation – in positions of leadership, education, and professions that are dominated by cis-gender men and white-racialized people. The challenges faced by woman-identifying or gender-non-conforming woodworkers discourage meaningful advancement in this field but have also motivated people with skill and know-how to construct platforms for self-learning and community-building that are nurturing and broadening this ecosystem. Shining a light on the faces and stories of the overlooked in a field that offers so much creative inspiration, and empowerment is an act of joy and restitution.” A perfect paragraph to describe Visser’s work.

I want to give a shoutout to my friend Sterling Cruz-Herr, who suggested this book to read for the club. It had been on my shelf in the pile of books I was meaning to get to, and I’m profoundly grateful to them for the nudge to read it. I found this book beautiful and inspiring. Every story told of each maker shines insight into an artist’s process, when paired alongside images of their work, it brings me such admiration for their creativity and originality.

Photo by John Carlano via https://www.katiehudnall.com/

The meeting for this month's book will be held on Sunday, April 4th at 7:00 PM EST. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Meeting Link: https://discord.gg/f2WshBkWaJ?event=1481263378667278519

I have been getting a couple of requests to choose books that are available in libraries. Since every local library is different, I will send a request back to you. Ask your library to carry these books. I think this one specifically is a good place to start. Most libraries are open to these types of requests, and who knows, you could have a new woodworker in

your neighborhood pop up because of it.

-Owen