Comments on: My Adventures With Metafiction

By: Jane May

Jane May — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:07:06 +0000

This same little Katy is my youngest granddaughter. I am very proud of her woodworking skills, her artistic and culinary abilities and many others talents. She has learned a lot with her Dad (my wonderful son-in-law) as coach and cheerleader. She is already a wonderful little person; imagine what a terrific grwon-up she will be.
Love,
Momo

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:05:16 +0000

My "Katy" is named Amy, and she’s a little older (34). Amy and I started working on small projects when she was young, and she has kept her hands-on attitude. She’s now a successful physician with a family, but she does have time to work an occasional project with me. Our current project is a dining table made of red oak. The legs and lower frame are done, and we need to get going on the top and leaves. Amy’s son Ben (4) now has a little tool tote that she built with hand tools. Ben and I recently built one of the "My First Project" kits from Woodcraft.

By: R Francis

R Francis — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:30:44 +0000

Metafiction is thus an elastic term which cover a wide range of fictions. There are those novels at one end of the spectrum which take fictionality as a theme to be explored . .. whose formal self-consciousness is limited. At the center of this spectrum are those texts that manifest the symptoms of formal and ontological insecurity but allow their deconstructions to be finally recontextualized or ‘naturalized’ and given a total interpretation . . .Finally, at the furthest extreme that, in rejecting realism more thoroughly, posit the world as a fabrication of competing semiotic systems which never correspond to material conditions.

Um, where do you fit in?

By: John Scull

John Scull — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:13:59 +0000

The Katy I have is a Becky. When Becky was Katy’s age she came with me to work.The simple facts were that I needed help. She was slim and fair, the weather was hot, August in Texas. We were on the east side of a house building a deck. I would lift and Becky would push the posts into line. She was sweating and her face was red, but she never quite and she never backed away from the job. I have never seen a kid work as hard. I have never seen a kid so determined. I have never seen a kid I was more proud of. I have never met a kid that deserved her lunch out more than Becky did. Today Becky is nearly 30 and has a little one of her own. Becky has painted every room in her house and is getting a set of step ladders and a miterbox saw for Christmas. Each time I visit with Becky, I remind her of my very best day.

By: The Village Carpenter

The Village Carpenter — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:55:21 +0000

Awww! That actually choked me up.

By: Ed Furlong

Ed Furlong — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:53:13 +0000

Chris:

Thanks for the wonderful story and bringing back a flood of memories. My favorite picture of my now 22-year old daughter is from when she was 5 or 6, standing on an upside down on the ubiquitous pickle bucket wearing a shop apron and running the drill press. Then as they get older you get the chance to tell them that they have surpassed you in a skill, in my case, my sixteen year old son became a much better turner than me.

In all these experiences you not only hand down woodworking skills, you give them the chance to understand that the material world is one they can use, repair, and create from. Even if, Heaven forfend, they drift away from working wood, they will carry the mental skills, perceptions, and ways of seeing the world that will make them stronger better, more useful people and citizens. You are a good Dad–Keep up the good work!

Ed in Evergreen, CO

By: Al Navas

Al Navas — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:52:54 +0000

Chris,

I am convinced Katie is very lucky, and you too! A terrific tale about an apprentice girl growing as a woodworker, and her caring Dad… I look forward to reading the book!

By: Ethan

Ethan — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:28:24 +0000

That is a great story, Chris. And what a blessing to have such a relationship with your daughter! Your parental skills are just as inspirational as your woodworking skills.

(And the value of my Chris-and-Katy-Schwarz-signed 1st Edition hardbound copy of Workbenches rises…)

(Not that I’d ever sell it.)

By: tom fidgen

tom fidgen — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:32:46 +0000

Chris,
This sounds like a gem…nice find and nice project!
I’ll look forward to it and then in a couple of more years getting my two little ‘apprentices’ into the wood shop. I have a three and four year old so I think it a safe bet to give it a few more years.
Cheers!
Tom

By: Dan Pope

Dan Pope — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:00:44 +0000

What an incredible story for Father’s Day! The gift of time from dad is what every son or daughter needs. How wonderful that she wants to share your love for wood as well.
Dan