The Mortise & Tenon Podcast

In this episode, the guys discuss Bill Coperthwaite’s chapter on labor: the goodness of it, the exploitation of it, and some of his ideas about how it can be improved. This is an idealistic vision that Joshua and Mike both resonate with and critique. Prepare to have your hackles raised. No matter where you’re coming from, you are sure to be offended by at least a few things in this episode.

In this episode, Joshua and Mike tackle Bill Coperthwaite’s discussion of beauty. The focus of this chapter is relatively narrow, zeroing in on the intangible aspects of beauty such as the production context: Who made this? Under what circumstances was it made? Etc. Coperthwaite argues that the process of deepening your knowledge of a thing enriches your sense of its beauty (or ugliness, as the case may be). When we fill our lives with things that are truly beautiful instead of only superficially so, the stuff we use on a daily basis becomes that much more meaningful. So meaningful, that we might even find ourselves apologizing to a broken teacup.

In this episode, Joshua and Mike pick up their discussion of Bill Coperthwaite’s first chapter in A Handmade Life. The discussion meanders through questions of the value of expertise, being an apprentice who is preparing to one day be a master, and blending the best of human cultures.

In this episode, Joshua and Mike tackle the first chapter in Bill Coperthwaite’s A Handmade Life: “Society by Design / Design by Society.” This chapter is worked through section by section, explaining and interacting with Bill’s relentless call to deliberately reorient our lives toward the best and most beautiful ends. This “democratic” call is for everyone to participate in self-reflection and purposeful action. The guys made it through the first half of the chapter, which ends with an intriguing critique of electric can openers, of which Bill said he “can’t think of anything more ridiculous.” This is technology criticism in action.

In this podcast episode, Joshua and Mike begin a new book discussion series. This time, the guys tackle Bill Coperthwaite’s inspirational work A Handmade Life: In Search of Simplicity. As is evidenced by the way Coperthwaite’s name continually resurfaces at M&T, this book has proven to be deeply foundational in the thought and vision of this publication. Just as they did with their podcast series on David Pye’s The Nature and Art of Workmanship, Joshua and Mike will be working through this book, chapter-by-chapter, summarizing his ideas and offering their own reflections (and occasional pushback) along the way. Bill Coperthwaite was a true visionary, but one who was firmly grounded in living out what he believed. The book is not to be overlooked or easily dismissed. Join the guys as they crack into this rich work.

In this episode, the guys discuss their upcoming special publication: The Tenth Anniversary Issue. They’ve poured out untold energy and creative reflection to make this the most compelling title they’ve ever released. This issue features: Joshua A. Klein, Michael Updegraff, the Yale Furniture Study, Steve Latta, Sally Bernstein and Joel Moskowitz, George Sawyer, Anne Briggs, Glenn Adamson, Kenneth Schwarz, Wendell Berry, and Jögge Sundqvist. This one will be talked about for years ahead. Available by pre-order only. Order yours before April 27, 2025.

In this episode, Joshua and Mike explore the pros and cons of working at a larger scale than furniture making. Whether you’re constructing something as immense as a barn or simply working in batches, trying your hand at a project that will take you more than a few days’ work will expand your capacities. Inspired by Joshua’s upcoming article in Issue Eighteen all about how he’s handplaning all the floorboards for his house, this episode was recorded to inspire you to roll your sleeves up for the long haul. There’s a lot of good work out there that needs to be done – too much to stand around just thinking about it.

Do you believe it’s healthier to work with your mind or is it better to work with your hands? We hope you said, “Neither.” Why the dichotomy? In this episode, Joshua and Mike argue that getting stuck in one mode or the other to the exclusion of all else undermines a person’s overall health. We are more than brains, and we are more than bodies. Because of this basic reality, seeking to restore balance after a time of intense work is essential to be able to carry on to the next stage of life.

In this new episode of the podcast, Joshua and Mike talk about the proverbial practice of making hay while the sun is shining – as soon as the days start to get longer in the Maine spring, it’s time to get to work. They discuss the “House by Hand” 1821 Cape house restoration project and all the progress that has been made since the start of the year, with the goal of getting the Klein family moved into a somewhat completed building by winter. But how “finished” is finished enough? And what does the previous history of this house teach us about the iterative process of living in a structure while working on it? Drawing from Nevan Carling’s upcoming Issue Seventeen article, the guys make the argument that an old house is an indispensable article of material culture, and that preserving and living in it is a way of conversing with, and learning from, the past.

In this new episode, the guys talk with woodworker and author Andy Glenn, whose new book Backwoods Chairmakers: In Search of the Appalachian Chairmaker was published by Lost Art Press. If you’re interested in handmade and vernacular furniture, this new title should be on the top of your list. Glenn covers, not only the nuts-and-bolts discussions about building these chairs, but also an intimate glimpse into the lives of these makers still actively selling chairs today.