Tomorrow's Lobsterman
One of New England's oldest, most iconic industries faces more uncertainty than ever. Meet a young lobsterman who's keeping the tradition alive—and planning for an increasingly unpredictable future.
Dear Friends,
Maine’s commercial lobster fishing industry dates to the 1700s, and has survived all kinds of challenges over the centuries. Making a living from the sea has always been a gamble, but between an aging workforce, new regulations, and rapidly warming waters, the future of lobstering has never looked more precarious than it does today. So why would a bright young man in Eastport, Maine, commit to a life fishing the seas?
Elijah Brice’s story illustrates the need for constant adaptation and innovation in a fast-changing world — as well a dedication to the values of craftsmanship, and classic New England grit. I hope you’ll enjoy reading “Tomorrow’s Lobsterman,” written by Ben Speggen.
This story concludes our Summer issue on “The Craft of Resilience.” Next, we’ll be taking our usual Summer hiatus, returning to our weekly publishing schedule sometime around Labor Day with a special Fall issue focused on Native American Craft of the Southwest.
In the meantime, I hope you'll always find something intriguing to read — or watch, or listen to — within our pages. 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
Summer 2022: The Craft of Resilience
Given our mounting travails these days (climate chaos, ongoing pandemic, worsening summer wildfires, among others), we're focusing this summer on pioneers who are rising to these challenges. From indigenous people in Mexico who reclaimed their ancestral lands from eco-terrorists, to a highly developed community in Italy that holistically treats addiction, you will meet artisans and innovators who are creating unique paths to help people thrive in our fast-changing world. By mixing ingenuity, tenacity, and hope, these brave souls highlight what might be called the craft of resilience.