The Mortise & Tenon Podcast

In this episode, Joshua talks with woodworker and researcher Andrew Gonzales who wrote for Issue Twenty-One about traditional New Mexican furniture making. Gonzales received an M&T Craft Research Grant in 2025, and in the course of his hands-on investigation, discovered some fascinating aspects of this particular craft heritage. You thought you knew “Colonial American” furniture making? Think again. Gonzales has a lot to teach us about his family’s 500-year legacy of traditional craft practice on this continent.

In this episode, Joshua again sits down with Kenneth Kortemeier of Maine Coast Craft School to discuss Bill Coperthwaite’s final chapter in A Handmade Life titled “Life Work.” Bill leaves us with a call to pursue a whole life of adventure, rather than one of occasional escape. He wants us to engage deeply with making and living with others. Kortemeier brings breadth a experience leading people through hard experiences in Outward Bound expeditions, boat building, and other handcrafts. This episode may just steer you away from the life of “sitting alone in your room, alone, watching the TV set and waiting for the end.” Bill hoped instead to “encourage people everywhere to get involved.”

In this episode, Joshua sits down with Kenneth Kortemeier of Maine Coast Craft School to discuss Bill Coperthwaite’s chapter on “Simplicity.” Because Kenneth was a close friend of Bill’s, he brings a fascinating (and surprising) perspective to Bill’s words and life. This man’s “experiment in living” has inspired many to carefully consider their own life choices, in an endless pursuit of the most beautiful and elegant solutions.

In this episode, the guys discussion their latest book: Tools for Engagement: Reclaiming Craft in an Age of Technology. This has been in the works for several years, and it is unlike any other craft book out there. Bringing together rich discussion about the value of skilled hand work with a plethora of woodworking projects, Tools for Engagement is designed to make an impact on woodworkers today. In an era that prizes ease and “frictionless” life, it is critical that we respond with personal engagement. Roll up your sleeves. Take up tools. Stay human.

In this new episode, the guys work their way through Bill’s chapter on the true meaning of “wealth.” Rather than think of wealth merely in terms of monetary accumulation, Bill suggests we think of real enrichment as sharing things that benefit others, such as teaching skills, telling stories, or sharing a meal. In such times, no one goes without so that others can gain – all are better off for having participated. That is true wealth. Joshua and Mike highlight such topics as keeping your possessions to an amount you can personally manage and care for, building your own home over years, and designing “democratic chairs” anyone could build with a little effort. This is, as you’ve surely come to expect, a lofty and “enriching” discussion. Bill’s book is always worth engaging, and this chapter is no exception.