Today I received my copies of David Savage’s “The Intelligent Hand,” and I was so relieved I thought I might cry.
This has been one of the most emotional projects I’ve worked on. Apologies for discarding the veneer of normal blogging communication, but this book has been a crap-tastic lightning rod for this entire cruddy year.
When my father died in February, I was crushed for many reasons. We had so many plans for things we were going to do together – take a carving class with Peter Follansbee, visit St. Petersburg and finally master bread-making.
A few months after my dad died, we lost Jennie Alexander. The future of a project we had worked on for five years – the third edition of “Make a Chair From a Tree” – was thrown to the lawyers.
So when I dove into editing and designing “The Intelligent Hand,” I was hell bent on getting it published before cancer claimed David. And I wanted to equal David’s effort. He gave us everything – his original watercolors, his archive of photos and a manuscript that ripped my heart open. The design and editing had to match it.
Luckily, I had Megan Fitzpatrick to help me. We’ve worked together so long that she knows exactly how little I will compromise. And so she is as pigheaded as I am when it comes to making things look right and read right. And she knows when to say: %$&* it.
Our warehouse has begun shipping “The Intelligent Hand,” and if you ordered a copy through our website, you should have your copy soon. It’s not perfect. We compressed a year of editing and design work into about three months. But it is good. Damn good.
— Christopher Schwarz
Just ordered, I know this wasn’t a sales pitch blog post but it definitely sold me. I empathize with you Chris, as I’m watching cancer slowly taking my young mother away from us. I’m glad you guys pushed through getting this book done.
As a customer of just about every book you have published, I appreciate all the hard work your team and you have put into this book. I look forward to reading David book he is a very interesting person. My only regret is I will not be able get to meet him or attend one of his classes. Thank you Chris for all your hard work.
Very sorry to hear about your dad. When I lost my dad in 08 it was brutal. When I lost my mom in 2012 I think I kind of lost it, and stepped away from woodworking for a very very long time. Only now starting to take classes again (a spoon carving class this past weekend with Peter in CT). Look forward to reading the book.
Thank you. I have been reading the PDF. Woodworking aside, it is one of the most wonderful pieces of literature I have read in a long time. The pictures and drawings only add to make it a beautiful book. Thanks to David, Christopher, Megan, and everyone else involved.
Thank you Bill. I have written for magazines all my life, This was different i wanted every word to count.
david
Nuff said! You got my dollar! :>)
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This is going to be a great Christmas for book buying…
Hardest thing is to lose someone you love, sorry about your father. I can feel how you love your job while I read your blog, success always will come, good luck with the book.
I don’t know. It seems kind of perfect to me.
Mine arrived yesterday, as well. Good choice of printers, judging by the quality of the book, physically. Just started reading it, but I am confident that DBS will make his points in his own inimitable style. Oh, and do slip off the dust jacket for an extra treat.
Glad you noticed the diestamp. I took a self-portrait sketch that David made, modified it and mashed it up with his drawing paper and his personal stamp.
I can’t ever read a book with the dust jacket on. It goes back on when the book is returned to the shelf.
Did I order this?
Carey Delzell 1535 Linda Rosa Avenue Los Angeles CA 90041
Sent from my iPhone
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Hi Carey,
We don’t have an order in our queue from you for this book. The last one you ordered was “Hands Employed Aright.”
Hope this helps.
Thank you for all you do Christopher Schwarz, you and all the people at Lost Art Press. I can’t wait to get my copy and cry more! I am currently loosing my father to bone cancer.
But I will say, when we finally meet, I have the greatest Christopher Schwarz story ever. It makes me laugh every time I think of it!
Thank you
Thank you and the team that brings these master craftsmen/women work, guidance and stories to all of us, in print and glimpses via the blog. Aside from inspiration, the quality of the work continues to be outstanding. Having followed the blog for a number of years, a couple of book purchases Lost Art Press work is a highlight out there, especially on the internet. The work, quality, professionalism has not gone unnoticed, even in trying times.
Fingers crossed that mine arrives today…. I have 4 flights in the next 5 days so will have plenty of time on the plane to read…
Hi, Just checking to see when my order will ship. Please let me know if it has shipped. Thank you. Joe Corigliano