This was a great read and made me feel hopeful for the future. My mom, her mom and on are very talented craftswomen. Growing up (and still now) she could knit, crochet or sew me anything I dreamed of. It truly was magical. Although she dabbled in teaching us these skills I never fully learned nor were we forced to like she had been (out of necessity). Over the past 10 years though I’ve really devoted myself to learning all the hand work so I can one day teach my own daughter. I realize how important these skills are in a world where everything is handed to you, this feels like a rebellion against it all. I don’t want my daughter to have no idea how to work a needle and thread or mindlessly order clothes on shein. There’s so much to gain in creating with your hands. Anyways I do feel like I could go on and on about this topic so I’ll stop here but I’m feeling deeply inspired to pick up my knitting needles again!
Oh thank you for sharing this! It really is a part of our heritage and female lineage. I just feel like there is nothing that is quite so satisfying and that that sense of satisfaction is so integral to our well being.
I am cheerfully encouraging my daughter to learn sewing from my mother-in-law. None of the girls in her sorority in the 60s knew she made all her clothes. My crafty love is beaded jewelry at the moment. Not quite as cozy as knitting but the creativity cuddles my soul pretty well.
I love this post so much, Emily! SO beautifully written, and truly captures the way I feel about knitting, too.
I was taught as a teen by my mom, who is much better at crocheting, but never had any success. I picked it up again at 21, a young single mom with night owl tendencies and a babe who slept well (the only one of 3, so far.) Knitting was a solace to me on long evenings when the silence could be deafening, or fear of my ex crept in. I could listen to music, I could pop on a DVD...I even got to a point where I could read and do simple knits. It was everything. Once I learned DPN's, I never went back.
Knitting has come in and out of my life, with fervor sometimes. Right now, I have a Christmas shawl for my mother, and a partially finished Scandi sweater for my 3 year old on the needles, and feel obsessive about them while stuggling to carve out time. I carry my knitting everywhere, and pull it out anywhere. I love to have something to do with my hands and brain OTHER than pull out my phone.
Yes. I love how much knitting means to you, because it has meant similar things for me. It is as important as the baking of bread and the creation of nourishing meals---because it is somehow for me, but often not for me at all. A gift in multiple ways, maybe. An invitation to slow down.
I'd love to become a better seamstress, but we live in a yurt with two children, not yet big enough for me to sew without tiny hands, nor enough space for me to sew while they sleep. I have mentioned to my husband before that while I love that idea of a sewn dress...there is something about knitting..turning a sheeps wool into fabric with nothing but these hands, that is magical.
I've recently been learning sheepskin tanning, too. Figuring out how to work leather to softness, and brush at wool until it's soft. Pure joy.
Oh Liz I truly enjoyed reading this and your experience very much mirrors mine! I was 21 with my first baby knitting the same feelings away too. I also got to the point that I could knit and read and when I met my husband and he saw me doing that, he said that was one of the reasons he loved me 😆 I understand the obsessive pull as well-especially with color work (that Scandi sounds so cute) or cables, as watching the design come into form is so delightful.
The part about having something to do with your hands-I really feel it is both a comfort and a way to tap into the world around you in that way. Something to cut whatever awkwardness there may be in just sitting, but not distracting enough to take you away from the moment.
Your crafting goals are good ones. I am also interested in tanning, as we are getting sheep next spring and I hope to be able to learn.
What a beautiful reflection and call to action. My mom passed zero handicraft skills to me, and thus far I have not taken any up (mostly out of fear of failure I think). I am intrigued by knitting, though. My creative outlet has long been cooking and, more recently, bread baking. It has been truly therapeutic for me to learn these skills that were not passed down by my mother, and to take heart that I am establishing a new legacy for my own family.
The fear of failure is so real! I think especially for those of us with perfectionist tendencies (🙋♀️), but I think it’s even MORE important in that case because it really is a lesson in patience, perserverance and focus. I recently took up wheat weaving and it has been both a struggle and a joy for this reason. And yes to that legacy for your family! Bread baking is something I only have rudimentary skills in but truly is such a beautiful way to express love to your family (not to mention it makes the whole house smell good!).
That is an absolutely fantastic piece of writing. I have a wool jumper that my mum knitted for me when she was 81, having knitted most of her life. The last thing she made before dementia stopped her making anything. It’s hard to describe why these things are important but you’ve done it here.
Well thank you so much for the kind words and story about your mother, Simon ♥️ I’m sure that sweater is lovely is her love is woven into her stitches for you.
Beautiful essay Emily! I’ve also been knitting for about 20 years and feel the same about it. I’d love it if you shared more photos and thoughts of what you’re working on here (since I finally got away from Instagram)!
Thank you Wren! How neat you have been knitting for so long as well! And what a relief I’m sure it is to be away from IG. I actually do intend to start sharing what I’m making on here more, as I want to lean into the name of the newsletter more and get into what that “work” looks like for me. Would love to see yours as well!
My mother sewed, knitted, crocheted. I see and do other creative things. I am not on long for the internet. Being creative is soul and life enhancing. Thanks for this post.
I feel like I was born for this prompt: Pick your poison-what's your ideal 1841 women's work combination? Butter dealer/bonnet maker? Confectioner/leech bleeder? Tallow chandler/ seed merchant?
- I would want to work somehow in a dairy (because they're notably clean) and avoid laundry work for as long as possible. I could also see myself being a confectioner (now and back in time)!
I love this! I think these are some of the same reasons that I gravitate towards makingbso many things by hand. I have only been knitting for about a year. Washcloths and scarves are about as far as I have progressed nbit I would love to make a sweater one day!
Oh wonderful! I only knit flat things for years-scarves and the like-my first sweater was actually a little kimono sweater for the baby I mention in the essay that was composed of different flat pieces that were then sewn together, all because I was so intimidated by sweaters! My advice is to start with a hat to get used to knitting in the round as you will with sleeves and the body of a sweater, and then find a simple worsted weight sweater to try! It’s so fun either way though, and those wash clothes are so nice to have!
This is one of the reasons we chose Waldorf/Steiner schools for our children, my son and daughter have both learnt all sort of incredible skills with their hands including growing crops, knitting, cooking, felting, wood and metal work plus lots of different painting and drawing techniques. Truth be told, I am somewhat jealous as it is so much easier to pick up these skills when you are young but I'm so grateful that working with their hands is baked into their everyday school life.
The handwork element is probably the most appealing part of Waldorf pedagogy to me (I don’t follow it totally but have used elements of it in homeschooling), so lovely. I’m jealous of your kids too! It really is such a gift to them.
I enjoyed your piece. I feel similarly about crochet, which I learned at around age 8 I think and have practiced off and on since then. This summer I let my imagination run particularly wild with the result that I have multiple projects in the go including one that is entirely my invention (purses resembling tide pools).
My style of crochet tends to be whimsical: it’s art for art’s sake. Of course nothing that involves tangible materials and techniques can exist purely in the realm of the mind, so it also brings me back to earth. But I love the feeling that I can imagine something and then bring it into reality: it feels like a super power.
My eldest daughter has learned the basics, but like me at that age, she often has difficulty persevering through the whole process. Hopefully it comes with time.
Art for art’s sake! I would love to see those tide pool purses! And those dolls in your post are so lovely, the roses in their hair especially. Thank you for sharing 🥀
I picked up my knitting again as we’ve had an odd August cold spell, and so much of what you wrote has been flowing through my mind and heart… and the very simple pleasure of the feel of the yarn is such a balm.
I found your post through the Library of Unconformed Lives. I soooo resonate. I’m a wool dyer/spinner/knitter/weaver and am in the process of starting a mini-fiber mill on my property with the hopes of sourcing wool from local shepherds and dyeing processing it to offer in my shop (aimed at handspinners). Creating something with your hands that can be worn and used to cloth others has been incredibly healing in my life. And gaining the knowledge and skill set to carry on the way of life of making is priceless. I do lament that the reason people buy cheaply made/poorly sewn clothing is because it makes more sense economically for their families than spending 100.00+ on a handmade wardrobe piece. I feel like you get kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Passing on knitting (and all fiber arts) to the next generation is essential!
Next you need to learn how to spin your own yarn, and knit with that! 😉 The rabbit hole of creating beautiful and useful things is wide and deep. I just started following you on Instagram. My username is Spindelicious 🖤
Hi Beth! Thank you for reading and following, I truly appreciate it. I have a close friend who spins and just bought my 12 year old a drop spindle so I hope to give that a go with her. There is a Ozarks Fiber Fest close to where we live where they do a lot of instruction on these skills that I hope to finally make it to this upcoming year as well! I agree that the financial difficulty of providing handmade items for our families is highly cost prohibitive, but I suppose that is why I value the skills themselves even more! We are actually planning on raising sheep (more for milk and cheese than anything) starting this spring so I hope to learn the process in full! I will go find you on IG now!
One of the joys of my adult life has been discovering traditional crafts and skills. Crocheting is my first love, but I’ve also enjoyed embroidery, cross stitching, and cloth/basket weaving. With a garden and aspiring homestead, I am also slowly digging into the craft of preserving food. It is so empowering being able to do all of these things, and to do them for people I love so very much.
Yes! What a joy it is to learn and also to give some of our spoils to others! I am spending today canning tomatoes so I am right there with you. Also, I took a basket weaving class with my closest friend a few years ago and that basket I made there is one of my most prized possessions! Would love to get into it more.
Yum! Our tomatoes are coming in fast right now-I did a homemade tomato sauce that turned out brilliantly and I was so proud. And I highly recommend the kits of this website-I’ve made a few from them and the instructions/materials are great https://www.basketweaving.com/
I taught myself to knit and crochet from you tube (in the sad absence of any ancestor to teach me) and have just shared how to crochet with my 10 year old niece. She has inspired me to pick up my hook again and I have chosen a cardigan project to start me back on the road. This has unexpectedly also nudged me to finally learn how to use my sewing machine properly, and I hope to make something for my daughters for Christmas. They too will watch me create. Thank you for your beautiful share and for the reminder that these skills must never be lost. I will be part of their transmission too ❤️
Yes, you will! I love to hear things like this, thank you so much for sharing Clare. Also, I too need to figure out my sewing machine. It has been sitting in a lonely corner for far too long.
I have really enjoyed the tone and pacing of your last few essays, Emily. They’re sturdily-crafted and detail-oriented, much like your knitting!
This week, I’m writing on the similar topic of our modern career path conflicts with women’s bodies and desires. You, Leah Libresco Sergeant, and several other Substackers came to mind as I wrote. Which writers most influence and inspire your thinking?
Thank you so much Amelia! Waking up today to see you featured on The School of Unconformed’s latest was a treat, I cannot wait to read your contribution and also your latest that you reference here (saving for later today).
Paul Kingsnorth, Mary Harrington, Louise Perry, Helen Roy, Erica Bachiochi, and Abigail Favale are some of my favorite writers. I love most of what is published on Fairer Disputations, The New Atlantic and Plough. I also love MaryLou Singleton’s speaking and writing, I truly look up to her and she fires me up like no one else. I have gotten into Ivan Illich and Wendell Berry over the years as well. My penchant for personal anecdotes comes from a somewhat unlikely source-I used to love reading beauty writer Cat Marnell’s beauty reviews with all of her drug-addled ramblings (one of these things is not like the others 😂). This is what comes to mind off the top of my head! What a fun question! I have to ask you the same now (I love Leah as well).
Kingsnorth, Louise Perry, Plough, and Fairer Disputations are on my list too! Alas, I’ve never been able to enjoy Wendell Berry for some reason. I’ll have to look into the others. On the intellectual side of things, I enjoy historian Tom Holland and classicist Spencer Klavan of Young Heretics (as well as his dad, Andrew from the Daily Wire). Currently also obsessed with Rene Girard’s “I See Satan Fall Like Lightning.” My own penchant for personal anecdotes comes from Anne Lamott—she’s brutally honest, totally broken, and blazingly funny, especially in Traveling Mercies. ND Wilson’s story-based Christian worldview has also shaped the way I both live and tell stories (he fleshes this out in his podcast Stories Are Soulfood).
Well thank you for a whole list of people to look up and consider. I know of Holland and his “Dominion” but have not delved further. I looked through your archive earlier as well and am excited to read more of your own work as well!
This was a great read and made me feel hopeful for the future. My mom, her mom and on are very talented craftswomen. Growing up (and still now) she could knit, crochet or sew me anything I dreamed of. It truly was magical. Although she dabbled in teaching us these skills I never fully learned nor were we forced to like she had been (out of necessity). Over the past 10 years though I’ve really devoted myself to learning all the hand work so I can one day teach my own daughter. I realize how important these skills are in a world where everything is handed to you, this feels like a rebellion against it all. I don’t want my daughter to have no idea how to work a needle and thread or mindlessly order clothes on shein. There’s so much to gain in creating with your hands. Anyways I do feel like I could go on and on about this topic so I’ll stop here but I’m feeling deeply inspired to pick up my knitting needles again!
Oh thank you for sharing this! It really is a part of our heritage and female lineage. I just feel like there is nothing that is quite so satisfying and that that sense of satisfaction is so integral to our well being.
I am cheerfully encouraging my daughter to learn sewing from my mother-in-law. None of the girls in her sorority in the 60s knew she made all her clothes. My crafty love is beaded jewelry at the moment. Not quite as cozy as knitting but the creativity cuddles my soul pretty well.
I love this post so much, Emily! SO beautifully written, and truly captures the way I feel about knitting, too.
I was taught as a teen by my mom, who is much better at crocheting, but never had any success. I picked it up again at 21, a young single mom with night owl tendencies and a babe who slept well (the only one of 3, so far.) Knitting was a solace to me on long evenings when the silence could be deafening, or fear of my ex crept in. I could listen to music, I could pop on a DVD...I even got to a point where I could read and do simple knits. It was everything. Once I learned DPN's, I never went back.
Knitting has come in and out of my life, with fervor sometimes. Right now, I have a Christmas shawl for my mother, and a partially finished Scandi sweater for my 3 year old on the needles, and feel obsessive about them while stuggling to carve out time. I carry my knitting everywhere, and pull it out anywhere. I love to have something to do with my hands and brain OTHER than pull out my phone.
Yes. I love how much knitting means to you, because it has meant similar things for me. It is as important as the baking of bread and the creation of nourishing meals---because it is somehow for me, but often not for me at all. A gift in multiple ways, maybe. An invitation to slow down.
I'd love to become a better seamstress, but we live in a yurt with two children, not yet big enough for me to sew without tiny hands, nor enough space for me to sew while they sleep. I have mentioned to my husband before that while I love that idea of a sewn dress...there is something about knitting..turning a sheeps wool into fabric with nothing but these hands, that is magical.
I've recently been learning sheepskin tanning, too. Figuring out how to work leather to softness, and brush at wool until it's soft. Pure joy.
Oh Liz I truly enjoyed reading this and your experience very much mirrors mine! I was 21 with my first baby knitting the same feelings away too. I also got to the point that I could knit and read and when I met my husband and he saw me doing that, he said that was one of the reasons he loved me 😆 I understand the obsessive pull as well-especially with color work (that Scandi sounds so cute) or cables, as watching the design come into form is so delightful.
The part about having something to do with your hands-I really feel it is both a comfort and a way to tap into the world around you in that way. Something to cut whatever awkwardness there may be in just sitting, but not distracting enough to take you away from the moment.
Your crafting goals are good ones. I am also interested in tanning, as we are getting sheep next spring and I hope to be able to learn.
What a beautiful reflection and call to action. My mom passed zero handicraft skills to me, and thus far I have not taken any up (mostly out of fear of failure I think). I am intrigued by knitting, though. My creative outlet has long been cooking and, more recently, bread baking. It has been truly therapeutic for me to learn these skills that were not passed down by my mother, and to take heart that I am establishing a new legacy for my own family.
The fear of failure is so real! I think especially for those of us with perfectionist tendencies (🙋♀️), but I think it’s even MORE important in that case because it really is a lesson in patience, perserverance and focus. I recently took up wheat weaving and it has been both a struggle and a joy for this reason. And yes to that legacy for your family! Bread baking is something I only have rudimentary skills in but truly is such a beautiful way to express love to your family (not to mention it makes the whole house smell good!).
That is an absolutely fantastic piece of writing. I have a wool jumper that my mum knitted for me when she was 81, having knitted most of her life. The last thing she made before dementia stopped her making anything. It’s hard to describe why these things are important but you’ve done it here.
Well thank you so much for the kind words and story about your mother, Simon ♥️ I’m sure that sweater is lovely is her love is woven into her stitches for you.
Beautiful essay Emily! I’ve also been knitting for about 20 years and feel the same about it. I’d love it if you shared more photos and thoughts of what you’re working on here (since I finally got away from Instagram)!
Thank you Wren! How neat you have been knitting for so long as well! And what a relief I’m sure it is to be away from IG. I actually do intend to start sharing what I’m making on here more, as I want to lean into the name of the newsletter more and get into what that “work” looks like for me. Would love to see yours as well!
My mother sewed, knitted, crocheted. I see and do other creative things. I am not on long for the internet. Being creative is soul and life enhancing. Thanks for this post.
It absolutely is! Thank you Ann ♥️
I feel like I was born for this prompt: Pick your poison-what's your ideal 1841 women's work combination? Butter dealer/bonnet maker? Confectioner/leech bleeder? Tallow chandler/ seed merchant?
- I would want to work somehow in a dairy (because they're notably clean) and avoid laundry work for as long as possible. I could also see myself being a confectioner (now and back in time)!
Good choices! I feel similarly about laundry 😂 I think I would have liked to be a cheese maker.
YES! owning a ribbon shop sounds insane as well
How gorgeous would that be honestly!
I love this! I think these are some of the same reasons that I gravitate towards makingbso many things by hand. I have only been knitting for about a year. Washcloths and scarves are about as far as I have progressed nbit I would love to make a sweater one day!
Oh wonderful! I only knit flat things for years-scarves and the like-my first sweater was actually a little kimono sweater for the baby I mention in the essay that was composed of different flat pieces that were then sewn together, all because I was so intimidated by sweaters! My advice is to start with a hat to get used to knitting in the round as you will with sleeves and the body of a sweater, and then find a simple worsted weight sweater to try! It’s so fun either way though, and those wash clothes are so nice to have!
This is one of the reasons we chose Waldorf/Steiner schools for our children, my son and daughter have both learnt all sort of incredible skills with their hands including growing crops, knitting, cooking, felting, wood and metal work plus lots of different painting and drawing techniques. Truth be told, I am somewhat jealous as it is so much easier to pick up these skills when you are young but I'm so grateful that working with their hands is baked into their everyday school life.
The handwork element is probably the most appealing part of Waldorf pedagogy to me (I don’t follow it totally but have used elements of it in homeschooling), so lovely. I’m jealous of your kids too! It really is such a gift to them.
I don't knit, but I do hand quilt and I also mend and darn. This was beautiful.
Oh hand quilting is the dream! Really, women sitting in a quilting circle is the dream 👏 so lovely and meditative
I enjoyed your piece. I feel similarly about crochet, which I learned at around age 8 I think and have practiced off and on since then. This summer I let my imagination run particularly wild with the result that I have multiple projects in the go including one that is entirely my invention (purses resembling tide pools).
My style of crochet tends to be whimsical: it’s art for art’s sake. Of course nothing that involves tangible materials and techniques can exist purely in the realm of the mind, so it also brings me back to earth. But I love the feeling that I can imagine something and then bring it into reality: it feels like a super power.
My eldest daughter has learned the basics, but like me at that age, she often has difficulty persevering through the whole process. Hopefully it comes with time.
I wrote about one of my completed projects here:
https://torthuilexplores.blogspot.com/2024/07/flora.html?m=0
Art for art’s sake! I would love to see those tide pool purses! And those dolls in your post are so lovely, the roses in their hair especially. Thank you for sharing 🥀
I picked up my knitting again as we’ve had an odd August cold spell, and so much of what you wrote has been flowing through my mind and heart… and the very simple pleasure of the feel of the yarn is such a balm.
Aww it’s so true. It’s 105 here today and I am resenting my task of canning tomatoes and absolutely PINING for a chilly day of knitting.
I found your post through the Library of Unconformed Lives. I soooo resonate. I’m a wool dyer/spinner/knitter/weaver and am in the process of starting a mini-fiber mill on my property with the hopes of sourcing wool from local shepherds and dyeing processing it to offer in my shop (aimed at handspinners). Creating something with your hands that can be worn and used to cloth others has been incredibly healing in my life. And gaining the knowledge and skill set to carry on the way of life of making is priceless. I do lament that the reason people buy cheaply made/poorly sewn clothing is because it makes more sense economically for their families than spending 100.00+ on a handmade wardrobe piece. I feel like you get kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Passing on knitting (and all fiber arts) to the next generation is essential!
Next you need to learn how to spin your own yarn, and knit with that! 😉 The rabbit hole of creating beautiful and useful things is wide and deep. I just started following you on Instagram. My username is Spindelicious 🖤
After finding your account, just wanted to say how beautiful your yarn is! It reminds me of Spincycle (which I have always lusted after).
Hi Beth! Thank you for reading and following, I truly appreciate it. I have a close friend who spins and just bought my 12 year old a drop spindle so I hope to give that a go with her. There is a Ozarks Fiber Fest close to where we live where they do a lot of instruction on these skills that I hope to finally make it to this upcoming year as well! I agree that the financial difficulty of providing handmade items for our families is highly cost prohibitive, but I suppose that is why I value the skills themselves even more! We are actually planning on raising sheep (more for milk and cheese than anything) starting this spring so I hope to learn the process in full! I will go find you on IG now!
One of the joys of my adult life has been discovering traditional crafts and skills. Crocheting is my first love, but I’ve also enjoyed embroidery, cross stitching, and cloth/basket weaving. With a garden and aspiring homestead, I am also slowly digging into the craft of preserving food. It is so empowering being able to do all of these things, and to do them for people I love so very much.
Yes! What a joy it is to learn and also to give some of our spoils to others! I am spending today canning tomatoes so I am right there with you. Also, I took a basket weaving class with my closest friend a few years ago and that basket I made there is one of my most prized possessions! Would love to get into it more.
Yum! Our tomatoes are coming in fast right now-I did a homemade tomato sauce that turned out brilliantly and I was so proud. And I highly recommend the kits of this website-I’ve made a few from them and the instructions/materials are great https://www.basketweaving.com/
Oh thank you so much! Will have to order myself a little treat. Also great job on the sauce! It’s exciting to figure it all out!
I taught myself to knit and crochet from you tube (in the sad absence of any ancestor to teach me) and have just shared how to crochet with my 10 year old niece. She has inspired me to pick up my hook again and I have chosen a cardigan project to start me back on the road. This has unexpectedly also nudged me to finally learn how to use my sewing machine properly, and I hope to make something for my daughters for Christmas. They too will watch me create. Thank you for your beautiful share and for the reminder that these skills must never be lost. I will be part of their transmission too ❤️
Yes, you will! I love to hear things like this, thank you so much for sharing Clare. Also, I too need to figure out my sewing machine. It has been sitting in a lonely corner for far too long.
I have really enjoyed the tone and pacing of your last few essays, Emily. They’re sturdily-crafted and detail-oriented, much like your knitting!
This week, I’m writing on the similar topic of our modern career path conflicts with women’s bodies and desires. You, Leah Libresco Sergeant, and several other Substackers came to mind as I wrote. Which writers most influence and inspire your thinking?
Thank you so much Amelia! Waking up today to see you featured on The School of Unconformed’s latest was a treat, I cannot wait to read your contribution and also your latest that you reference here (saving for later today).
Paul Kingsnorth, Mary Harrington, Louise Perry, Helen Roy, Erica Bachiochi, and Abigail Favale are some of my favorite writers. I love most of what is published on Fairer Disputations, The New Atlantic and Plough. I also love MaryLou Singleton’s speaking and writing, I truly look up to her and she fires me up like no one else. I have gotten into Ivan Illich and Wendell Berry over the years as well. My penchant for personal anecdotes comes from a somewhat unlikely source-I used to love reading beauty writer Cat Marnell’s beauty reviews with all of her drug-addled ramblings (one of these things is not like the others 😂). This is what comes to mind off the top of my head! What a fun question! I have to ask you the same now (I love Leah as well).
Kingsnorth, Louise Perry, Plough, and Fairer Disputations are on my list too! Alas, I’ve never been able to enjoy Wendell Berry for some reason. I’ll have to look into the others. On the intellectual side of things, I enjoy historian Tom Holland and classicist Spencer Klavan of Young Heretics (as well as his dad, Andrew from the Daily Wire). Currently also obsessed with Rene Girard’s “I See Satan Fall Like Lightning.” My own penchant for personal anecdotes comes from Anne Lamott—she’s brutally honest, totally broken, and blazingly funny, especially in Traveling Mercies. ND Wilson’s story-based Christian worldview has also shaped the way I both live and tell stories (he fleshes this out in his podcast Stories Are Soulfood).
Well thank you for a whole list of people to look up and consider. I know of Holland and his “Dominion” but have not delved further. I looked through your archive earlier as well and am excited to read more of your own work as well!