Roy Underhill’s woodworking novel – “Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!” – is now available for pre-publication ordering in the Lost Art Press store. The book will begin shipping on Nov. 10, and we are offering free shipping on all orders placed before Nov. 29, 2014.
The hardbound book is $29. The ePub version is $14. You can purchase both the hardbound version and the ePub for $36. If you order the ePub, you will receive your download immediately (in other words, you can begin reading the book today).
Go here to order the book. Or read on for more information on this unusual woodworking book.
What is That?
The first time I heard Roy had written a woodworking novel was when I visited his school in Pittsboro, N.C. Stuck to the corkboard above the school’s coffeemaker was a book cover that looked like something from the 1930s. The cover featured a redhead holding a handsaw, plus a dude holding a handplane and an armload of cash.
“What’s that?” I asked Roy.
“That’s the cover to my novel,” he replied.
Now Roy has a reputation for practical jokery. So rather than swallowing that piece of stink bait I just said something like, “Uhh….”
During the next few years of working with Roy, the topic of his novel came up several times, and I eventually asked him, “Is that real?”
He said it was, and that he even had a manuscript to prove it. Under a little duress, he found a battered, marked-up copy in his office. He explained that he had spent several years writing and polishing “Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!” but had set it aside when he didn’t get much interest from the big publishers.
I asked if I could borrow the manuscript. And that was what launched this multi-year project.
I know it’s a bit crazy to publish a woodworking novel with measured drawings. But this book is a jewel – well-written, fast-paced and simply funny. And with lots of juicy woodworking parts (and, yes, measured drawings for four projects). You can read the book’s plot description in our store, so I won’t repeat it here.
But allow me to answer a few questions that people have asked me about this book.
Will I learn any woodworking techniques?
Maybe? There are a few good descriptions of work in the novel, but the point of the book isn’t to help you cut a better tenon. It’s to entertain you and perhaps think a bit differently about your world.
Is it appropriate for kids?
Let’s just say that I’m not the best parent. I would let my 13-year-old read this book – no problem. I’d say it’s PG-13 for mild language and adult situations. It’s not “Dick & Jane,” nor is it “50 Shades of Wood.” I’d also say that if you are easily offended by stuff on television, then Lost Art Press books and this blog are not written for you.
Measured drawings, really?
Really. They are key to the plot. Really.
Roy writes fiction?
Yes, and very well. And to make sure this book has all the polish of novel from a major publisher, we hired Megan Fitzpatrick, a veritable fiction maven, to edit Roy’s book. We are all very proud of the result.
So if you like a good story, like Roy’s show or just like redheads riding motorcycles, we think you’ll enjoy “Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!”
And now I have to think of something crazier to do than publishing a woodworking novel….
— Christopher Schwarz
Just placed my order, can’t wait to get it!
Just pre-ordered, with pleasure. Looking forward to reading anything Roy has written. His short pieces of woodworking fiction that have been published in PopWood in the last few years were surprisingly good. And we all know he’s plenty entertaining.
Hey Chris, I’m going to be ordering Calvin Cobb first thing tomorrow and am looking forward to reading it – will do both the hard copy and the epub version (want to get started reading it right away but like the idea of having the actual book).
I also really like the cover art and would love to see if you would consider making prints of it so it can be framed and hung up in my shop. I know you have mentioned how its often not financially feasible for you to sell posters or prints and I get why you are making some of the black & white graphics available as downloads for people to take to their local copy shops to have posters made. However given the nature of this cover art work I would think it might do well to have a set of limited edition signed and/or numbered prints. Certainly by doing it as a good quality print it would make Jode Thompson’s illustration really come alive. Just a thought for you to consider. Even if your not up to stocking posters/prints of the cover art – I would still be interested in a high res electronic download option for it (even willing to pay for an electronic file of it if its reasonably priced) so I could go get a poster of it made at my local copy shop. However, I am still of the opinion this one piece of artwork might actually be financially profitable for Lost Art Press (of course I could be way off base, since publishing isn’t exactly my shtick)..
Looking forward to reading Roy Underhill’s novel and have always enjoyed reading the blog posts on Lost Art Press about this project. So glad you noticed that book cover hanging in Roy’s shop over his coffee maker and convinced Roy into dusting off the manuscript and publishing it. Hmmmm now that I think about it I have wall space over my shop’s coffee maker too ….. perfect place to hang this art.
Too many options now! Buy epub now and trash my already full weekend? I was hoping I could hold out ’til the next time I need to travel… that’s definitely not going to be possible.
Next up should be a line of young reader, choose your own adventure books:
“to dovetail, turn to page 141…to mortise and tenon, go to page 76”
Ha! I like the idea of a choose your own adventure book!
Just finished reading it for the 147th time! Congratulations Chris and Megan for unleashing this brilliant new force in American woodworking fiction! I can state without fear of contradiction that “Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker” is by far the best woodworking novel (with measured drawings!) of the year!
Indeed it is! (And FWIW, I want to play Verdie in the movie. I’m working on developing more moxie.)
You’re an Irish redheaded female. The moxie is part of your genes. And given the fact you are an Irish red headed female, you are probably maxed out.
Ummmm… I’d say you’re pretty OK on the moxie front.
Some (not me) have called for a mox-ectomy.
I know Roy’s show is about real woodworking but he presents it in such a way as to make it seem like a work of fiction so we shouldn’t be surprised by his novel.
I ordered ‘Calvin Cobb: Radio Woodworker!’ this AM. When will Roy read this aloud, so I can listen as well?
Thank All of You for the service you provide.
“It’s not “Dick & Jane,” nor is it ’50 Shades of Wood.’”
Dude, when can I order “Fifty Shades of Wood”?
Will there be a book of plates for Calvin Cobb, with just the measured drawings?
Yes, but it will be called “l’Art du chou: The Brochure of Plates”
“L’Art du Manure”. About halfway through on my first read. Tongue in groove…err…cheek, indeed. Very thankful y’all put this together. And thank you too, Mr. Roy!
Ok! I’ll order the book just out of curiosity! But where can I get a full sized poster? That is a classic and I would love to have that in my shop.
Tom Bittner Tjbittner@comcast.net
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Is there a possibility of an audio book with Roy as well?
Roy: I ordered the book as soon as I saw it was in the store. After watching you on the Woodwright’s Shop for many years and having enjoyed several of you other books, I’m sure I will enjoy this. Thank you for writing it! And thank you to Chris, Megan, Jode, John and anyone I missed that was involved in bring this fine piece if literature to life.
At least take a survey on the posters…If survey shows its practical I want one for my shop. Book is a no brainer. Ordered it this morning
Scott,
I’ll take a poll in a few days when I can come up for air on Roubo editing. Bottom line, an 18″ x 24″ poster would cost $30 delivered (to do it at the minimum quality we’d be happy with). That’s more than the book. So we’re cautious.
Chris, I think $30 is fair for the kind of quality printing Lost Art is known for in their books – you guys use high quality stock and printing methods. It’s certainly on par with what http://www.art.com charges for 18″ x 24″ Art Prints – take a look at Monet’s Sailboat Art Print in 18″ x24″ – they are charging $29.99. They do charge for some art as low as $9.99 in that size but some goes for a higher price. I think it’s worth it at $30 and would look forward to framing it and hanging it in my shop. Again if your not up to printing it I would be willing to pay for an electronic high res version of it to download and take to my local copy shop to have printed on good thick stock, but I really do think this might be one case that it could pay off for Lost Art Press (but as I said before I could be way off base).
As it is this book cover turned me on to the work of Jode Thompson and I went to her site to look at her portfolio and really like the retro look to her illustrations and art. I am planning to contact her about whether any of her other work is available in print or lithographs as it fits the style of some other art we have hanging in our house.
Just ordered my copy of Calvin Cobb this morning (ePub and hard copy). Also threw in an order of Grandpa’s Workshop and am looking forward to reading it with my five year old grand daughter who loves to come out in my shop and help Papa Jim. Also, if I am not out there then she loves to dig in my small cut-off scrap bin to play with what she calls “her wooden blocks.” She loves to stack the scrap wood into all sorts of structures and gets a kick when Papa Jim comes out and plays turns all Godzilla as I “accidentally” walk through her stacks of small scrap wood pieces.
Chris (and all the other staff, editors, and contributors) – I love what you are doing with Lost Art Press and how you are making available all sorts of resources that would otherwise not be available to woodworkers, since other publishers saw “no value” in it. As the spirits in Field of Dreams kept saying, “If you build it they will come.” I am so glad some voice whispered in your ear and said, “If you print it they will read it.”
If anyone else is like me and uses a Kindle reader to read ebooks – then you are very aware that Amazon Kindle does not support ePub format and its preferred format is mobi files. There is an excellent free conversion utility, Calibre, available for download at http://calibre-ebook.com/ for anyone who might need to convert the Calvin Cobb eBook (or any other ePub book formats) to mobi format.
Jim,
We are uploading a new file today so everyone can have Calvin Cobb in ePub, mobi and pdf formats. All past customers will receive an e-mail telling them they can update, too.
can you add the cover art to the pdf or epub?
Karma? Kismet? Fate?
I ordered the book last night along with the pdf. Read the first four chapters before finally retiring at 12:00. Today I get to work to find out I am going to a seminar next week. The seminar is at a hotel that is five blocks away from the Old Post Office.
Now to read some more to find out if there is a way into Calvin’s workshop…
I feel a physical NEED to own a real dead tree copy of this rather unusual work of fiction.
Warren