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Listening to Stone
A master craftsman provides us with the timeless wisdom he has gained from heaving and hewing stone.
In his highly anticipated second book, Vermonter Dan Snow once again proves that he is not just one of America's premier artisans, but also one of our most articulate voices on the natural world and our relationship to it. Snow's medium is stone: He is the nation's premier drystone wall builder. Schooled in this ancient craft, he painstakingly creates structures as breathtaking as sculpture with nothing but gravity as their glue. In Listening to Stone, Peter Mauss's tactile photographs of Snow's artistry are matched by the artisan's quietly compelling prose.
In a voice as expressive as Annie Dillard's and as informed as John McPhee's, Snow demonstrates astonishing range as he touches on such subjects as geology, philosophy, and community. We learn that stone's grace comes from its unique characteristics—its capacity to give, its surprising fluidity, its ability to demand respect, and its role as a steadying force in nature. In these fast-paced times, Snow’s life's work offers an antidote: the luxury of patience, the bounty and quietude of nature, the satisfaction of sweat. "I work with stone," he ultimately tells us, "because stone is so much work."
In his highly anticipated second book, Vermonter Dan Snow once again proves that he is not just one of America's premier artisans, but also one of our most articulate voices on the natural world and our relationship to it. Snow's medium is stone: He is the nation's premier drystone wall builder. Schooled in this ancient craft, he painstakingly creates structures as breathtaking as sculpture with nothing but gravity as their glue. In Listening to Stone, Peter Mauss's tactile photographs of Snow's artistry are matched by the artisan's quietly compelling prose.
In a voice as expressive as Annie Dillard's and as informed as John McPhee's, Snow demonstrates astonishing range as he touches on such subjects as geology, philosophy, and community. We learn that stone's grace comes from its unique characteristics—its capacity to give, its surprising fluidity, its ability to demand respect, and its role as a steadying force in nature. In these fast-paced times, Snow’s life's work offers an antidote: the luxury of patience, the bounty and quietude of nature, the satisfaction of sweat. "I work with stone," he ultimately tells us, "because stone is so much work."
- GenresNonfiction
145 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2008
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48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 21, 2017
A wonderful, lyrical exploration of building dry stone structures, and finding them in the author's travels.
April 21, 2025
A brilliant and honest account of the part of the journey of an artist and artisan in their exploration of the craft of making in dry stone. Inspirational to me. I love his work and love his honesty even more. To share the mistakes and failures as well as the successes so valuable to the learner.
January 31, 2024
Really enjoyed the profound musings of a craftsman.
March 2, 2017
Browsing the library, looking for a how-to book to build a garden gate/stone path and then saw this title which was so intriguing. So off it came from the shelf. History, philosophy, psychology, beauty, spiritual and whatever other exquisite word comes to mind...that is this book.
Every visit to New England it is the stone fences i search for and it is lovely to have a map of ones missed. There are a few stone fences in Indiana. A few stone walls exist, not made of limestone, more like boulders. Yes, boulders. Dug from plowed earth, round and smoothed by years of toil.
Easy to get lost on his stone path and worth while.
Every visit to New England it is the stone fences i search for and it is lovely to have a map of ones missed. There are a few stone fences in Indiana. A few stone walls exist, not made of limestone, more like boulders. Yes, boulders. Dug from plowed earth, round and smoothed by years of toil.
Easy to get lost on his stone path and worth while.
July 17, 2012
Wonderful and engaging, this book is a sweet and lyrical exploration of working with Stone. It's part storybook, part travelogue, part picture book. So many good things, all in one.
If you have any interest in artists who work with their hands, in forming Stone sculptures, if you have any interest at all in unconventional art - this is the book for you.
It is not a how-to book, but more of a "look what I did and why"... and the results are wonderful. The writing is beautiful and the book is peppered with photographs and drawings throughout.
This is a master artist sharing his craft and his love for what he does. It's a cherished ode to something bigger than all of us. It's a wonder to read and to experience.
Highly recommended.
If you have any interest in artists who work with their hands, in forming Stone sculptures, if you have any interest at all in unconventional art - this is the book for you.
It is not a how-to book, but more of a "look what I did and why"... and the results are wonderful. The writing is beautiful and the book is peppered with photographs and drawings throughout.
This is a master artist sharing his craft and his love for what he does. It's a cherished ode to something bigger than all of us. It's a wonder to read and to experience.
Highly recommended.
April 18, 2013
A friend lent Snow's book to me when I decided I'd like to build a stone staircase. I was hoping it would have some helpful content; the pictures were surely inspiring. Alas, the pictures are where this book's assistance begins and ends.
Snow writes with some beautiful prose and poetically articulates his reasons for dry stone building. That's nice, but won't help me to get started. On the bright side, maybe that's kind of the point. When building something with stone, it's best to just get started.
Snow writes with some beautiful prose and poetically articulates his reasons for dry stone building. That's nice, but won't help me to get started. On the bright side, maybe that's kind of the point. When building something with stone, it's best to just get started.
September 16, 2012
WOW! If I could give Listening to Stone more stars, I would. This was an absolute pleasure to read. Dan Snow writes about stone projects he as worked on as well as tools he uses and experiences he has had, but really, he writes about the experience of life. He finds the beauty and sheer bliss in the everyday. I strive to walk through life to match the experience I had while reading Listening to Stone. This is an absolute must read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews