Boy Howdy! Welcome Natalie Chanin to PDX!

I can not believe on of my heroes is winging her way to my green and pleasant town. SQUEEEEEE! Natalie Chanin has a new book out and will be here at Powell's Books on Tuesday the 13th!

She will also be speaking at PNCA on Craft, Identity& Commerce. Her lecture is free and open to the public. You should go! Srsly! Anyone want to work for me so I can go????

If I were able, I would love to attend her retreat at the ACE on the 17th. As it stands, I will have to wait patiently in the hold queue for the book and dream.

I just finished reading yesterday's grey lady piece on Ms. Chanin's partner Butch Anthony. The article is delicious and the accompanying slide show has accomplished an unprecedented feat-inspiring within this Cascadian girl a strong desire to ramble around the South, specifically Alabama, for a visit. You can tuck me in here:

Photo source this & next Robert Rausch for the New York Times

and there's this:
An artful life is what these two inspiring people are forging.

This is a quote of Natalie's from the article:

“Butch can work wood or metal, he can grow anything. He has an incredible way with the things of the world, whether it’s a tree or a piece of junk, and he has his own aesthetic about how it should go together. He knows the name of every leaf and every plant and which ones you can eat. And if the world ever came to an end, I would want to be by his side.”

Damn that's good and strong and sweet.