New audio story: "The Puppeteer"
His creations may be wacky—and wildly funny—but Michael Montenegro, who some have called the Samuel Beckett of modern American puppeteers, is not just playing around.
Dear Friends,
The craft of puppetry dates back at least 3,000 years, so one might think there’s nothing new to do with this art form, or to see. Yet among the somewhat fringe group of modern puppet makers and performers in the U.S., Michael Montenegro is considered one of the most creative and innovative artists around.
Incorporating rags, rusty nails, and other found objects into his creations, Montenegro makes stuff, says one fellow puppet artist, “that looks like a pile of junk until you pick it up and it comes to life.” Others have compared his original, often tragicomic scripts to the work of the great Samuel Beckett.
Our story on Montenegro, written by Lori Rotenberk, was first published a few years ago, but this audio version is a treat on another level. As narrated by Göran Norquist, a professional actor who has read a number of our podcasts, the humor and quirkiness in “The Puppeteer” comes to life in entirely new ways. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
As with all of our podcasts, you can listen to this episode or download it directly from our site, or on popular streaming channels like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also read the original story here (and watch some of Montenegro’s unique puppet-magic in the attached video clips).
Coming next week: A new episode of our special audio interview series that will conclude our Fall issue on “Native American Craft: The Southwest." After that, we’ll be taking our usual hiatus from weekly publishing until early January, when we’ll be back with a new issue focused on stonework, past and present.
In the meantime, I hope you'll always find something intriguing to read, watch, or listen to within our pages—currently free of charge, and free of ads. We welcome your thoughts via email, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for donating to our cause when you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Sincerely,
Todd Oppenheimer
Editor & Publisher, Craftsmanship Quarterly
Native American Craft: The Southwest
In our first issue focused on Native American craft, which we hope will be joined by others in the coming years, we look at the unusually rich and varied craft traditions of some of the Southwest’s Indian tribes. These communities rarely let outsiders see much of their cultural practices, but thanks to the tireless work of a few New Mexico writers and others, who have spent years developing relationships with members of the region’s tribes, we can offer you a glimpse into the work of some remarkable Indigenous artists and artisans.