Author Archives: Kara Uhl

A Journal Entry from Dick Proenneke, Written 52 Years Ago Today

Posted on June 30, 2020

Editor’s note: Monroe Robinson and I have been working through edits and securing a few final photos for his book about Dick Proenneke. This week Elin Price sent us her first batch of illustrations, and we were elated. Between Dick’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Dick Proenneke, Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Thinking About Kitchens

Posted on June 12, 2020

My grandmother, my father’s mom, died last July 4 at the age of 94. She was so intelligent. She attended Miami University (Ohio) at a time when many women did not, and studied business. Although she worked in accounting-like jobs … Continue reading →

Posted in Kitchen Think, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

4 New (and Free!) Excerpts

Posted on June 11, 2020

The title of this post reminds me of my magazine-cover writing days. From the higher-ups: “Use numbers!” “Use exclamation points!” “Use the word ‘free!’” If only it were in neon yellow. But it gets the point across, which is simply … Continue reading →

Posted in Honest Labour, John Brown Book, Making Things Work, The Solution at Hand, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

A Review of ‘Hands Employed Aright’

Posted on May 16, 2020

Ray Deftereos, a self-described “hand tool evangelist from South Africa,” began learning about and working with hand tools only two years ago. This, in part, makes him an ideal person to host “Hand Tool Book Review,” a “podcast for woodworms.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Hands Employed Aright, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

‘The Charmed Circle’ — From Honest Labour

Posted on April 22, 2020

Editor’s note: I have three young children. To help pass time while self-isolating we have hung several bird feeders around our yard and the kids are responsible for keeping the feeders filled. The kids like to sift through our Sibley … Continue reading →

Posted in Honest Labour, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Meet the Author: Nancy Hiller

Posted on April 16, 2020

Professional cabinetmaker and author Nancy Hiller’s story is filled with all the places and characters and plots that make up the best biographies (which happens to be Nancy’s genre of choice). The author of five books, including “English Arts & … Continue reading →

Posted in Making Things Work, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

A Kind of Order — from ‘Honest Labour’

Posted on March 28, 2020

Editor’s note: For the next several weeks, we will feature some of our favorite columns from “Honest Labour: The Charles H. Hayward” years, along with some thoughts about why these particular columns hit the mark. This column from 1960 is … Continue reading →

Posted in Honest Labour, Uncategorized | 11 Comments

Black-out Nights

Posted on March 12, 2020

Editor’s note: September 1, 1939, two days before the declaration of war, Britain imposed mandatory nightly black-outs to prevent enemy aircraft from identifying targets. The black-outs resulted in many people spending long, quiet hours at home once darkness fell. Years … Continue reading →

Posted in Honest Labour | 7 Comments

The Tragedy of Starved Genius

Posted on February 24, 2020

Editor’s note: This article, by Charles Hayward, appeared in the June 1951 issue of The Woodworker magazine, and will be included in “Honest Labour,” which will be available this year. This essay is a bit different from Hayward’s Chips from … Continue reading →

Posted in Honest Labour | 4 Comments

A Dedication

Posted on January 14, 2020

I have often wondered what period of time must elapse before a good craftsman becomes an outstanding one. Was he born that way, needing only the requisite skill to develop his genius? Or did he evolve stage by stage like … Continue reading →

Posted in Honest Labour, Uncategorized | 4 Comments