A New Resource for Bowmakers
The Bowyers’ Dispatch is on Substack.
I am pleased to announce the humble beginnings of a new resource for bowyers, the “Bowyers’ Dispatch,” on the writing platform Substack. Never heard of Substack? Your’e not alone. I just learned about it a few weeks ago when my publicist asked me to write an article on fatherhood for a popular Substack publication. Less than a week earlier, my wife had asked me to look into the platform as a potential depot for my writing in between books. (Hopefully this is an “in between” book time and Quiver is not a one-and-done.) So I looked into it, and I liked what I saw.
Earlier this year, not long after I completed writing Quiver, I began to think about other ways I could acknowledge and platform bowyers. There is the book, and also Project Quiver on the Salish Wolf Podcast, but I wanted more, something along the lines of a scholarly and anecdotal resource for bowyers by bowyers. By scholarly I don’t mean all hoity-toity and such, but a place where bowyers can nerd out on the things that they love: bowmaking, naturally. I was leaning toward a quarterly or biannual magazine, one where Ela and I could still travel and profile bowyers, but not on the compressed schedule that marked the travel phase of Project Quiver: 16 countries, 4 continents, 5 months. My vision of the resource was clear , as was the name - the “Bowyers’ Dispatch”; how is would actually get dispatched was another matter.
To be forthright, the idea of bringing disparate factors together to create and distribute a magazine seemed more than a bit daunting; it was almost a non-starter. And then along came the digital platform that I knew virtually nothing about: Substack. Could this be the medium I have been looking for? I won’t keep you in suspense: I think it is.
So over the last couple weeks, I have been forming my Stack. (I don’t know if that is the lingo for it, but I’m going with it.) And what arose in the process was another distinct but connected concept that I have been trying to bring back into the forefront, like a favorite bow that got moved to the back of the rack. It is inspired both by the narrative focus and subtitle of Quiver: The Art of Life through Bowcraft and by season 1 of the Salish Wolf Podcast. In both, my intention was to convey not only the craft or mission of my interviewees, but also to illuminate how through the passionate pursuit of some calling, they live extraordinary and full lives. I have learned that it is not so much the “thing” that one is doing but instead with how much passion one pursues the “thing”. Within reason, the greater the passion for purpose, the more complete the inner fulfillment. Those stories about the art of life are the stories I want to share, whether they be about bowcraft, needlecraft - the acupuncturist in me wants in on all this intrigue - or surfing. So before it even launched, my Stack doubled - the “Art of Life” joined the “Bowyers’ Dispatch” - and to connect them, like a bridge linking two neighborhoods, I felt my storytelling brand, Salish Wolf, was most appropriate.
So now I have two hoods, one bridge, and a bountiful river of thought flowing through, all in the land of Substack. I do hope you will check it out. If you have never been on there, no problem. Just go to https://salishwolf.com/. You can select to browse first, or you can enter your email to subscribe to receive new posts directly to your inbox. No content is behind a paywall, but if you want to support my platform with a paid membership, you are welcome to do so and will receive some signup perks as a form of appreciation from me. Currently you will find there the Salish Wolf Podcast, one article on the “Art of Life” - chapter 7 from the book Quiver featuring bowyer Jake Fenwick - and several articles on the “Bowyers’ Dispatch,” including a beauty on the English longbow written by the legendary Paul Comstock.
If you have recommendations for guests or topics, or want to contribute an article, send me a note. And if you like what you see, please share it with others.
Quiver Reaches Bookshelves Soon.
Less than a month remains until Quiver: The Art of Life through Bowcraft is expected on bookshelves near you, and hopefully on one in your home. Our publisher Trope has been organizing fulfillment to our early supporters so that they can ship the book to customers as soon as they receive it. If you have not yet bought your First Edition copy, click the below to do so. And if you want to sneak peak, check out my new Substack post, “The Art of Life through Bowcraft,” at salishwolf.com that shares the entire text from chapter 7 and a few photos.
Salish Wolf Podcast.
#96 Holger Berty on Project Quiver
Holger Berty has been a professional bowyer for nearly two decades. Based in Germany, he was introduced to bow carving by a friend. Holger's approach to bow making is eclectic, exploring various styles—from primitive bows to modern laminated designs.
#97 Joe Giago on Project Quiver
Joe Giago is skilled bowyer from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and an enrolled member the Oglala Sioux tribe. Joe began his bow-making journey over 15 years ago from the encouragement of an uncle and has been carving beautiful replica Native American bows every since.
