There are two special people in my life that I am especially proud of on this rainy morning. The first is my husband, who has his first published article in last Friday's edition of the Englewood Review of Books. He wrote about a book that has been inspiring a lot of people lately--Ben Hewitt's The Town that Food Saved. In a time when people are often overwhelmed with other people's opinions about "sustainability," Hewitt tells the story of a small town in Vermont that "went local" and lived to tell the tale. From Dave's review:
The problem with reading books about sustainability, ecology, and responsible agriculture, is that the authors seem irresistibly drawn to recitation of “the litany”: that long, horrible, tragic list of ways that we humans are destroying things on our world. It’s as if reading this litany one more time will push readers over the edge to finally admit that, “Yes, western industry and the lifestyles that make it necessary are doing so much harm in the world that I am NOW determined to make a change (trumpets please)!" I fear the litany has become a dirge, inspiring nobody.
Thankfully, Ben Hewitt has resisted the list! In his book The Town that Food Saved about the burgeoning food economy in Hardwick, Vermont, Hewitt gives us a story both timely and laden with import for our food crisis. I say story because that is what it is. The book, instead of introducing readers to issues, introduces us to people. The cast of characters involved with the food economy in Hardwick and the narrative outlining the evolution of the dynamics between them captured my attention and created a human context in which Hewitt could explore the questions about the food economy. Of course, some of the statistics and issues frequently appearing in the litany do appear in his book but it is as a contextual aside to the primary task he pursues: Finding out if the changes in the food economy in Hardwick are as beneficial to that community as those driving the movement claim.
You can read his full review here.
The other person I'm especially proud of is my dear friend Kelcey. She is an artist, mother, blogger and homesteader extraordinare in NC, and she and her husband recently launched a line of jewelry made from her art. The earings are unique and lovely, and I hope you all go check out her new etsy shop. She's having a giveaway on her blog to celebrate the new shop, which you can find here. Also, check out her main etsy shop for all the beautiful art she sells under the name Sweet Mess. Yay for artists and the beauty they bring to our world!
