Monroe Robinson’s “The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke” is a treasure and complement to the story of blue-collar Alaskan columnist Richard Proenneke, whose life in the bush is detailed in part in “One Man’s Wilderness.” Proenneke lived in Twin Lakes (now in Lake Clark National Park) intermittently from 1967 to 1999 in the log cabin he built.
Robinson is a respected professional carpenter here in Alaska and on the West Coast. He was a caretaker (along with his wife, Kay Schubeck) for nearly 20 summers at Proenneke’s cabin, and he knew Proenneke personally.
These qualifications led him to reproduce many of Proenneke’s objects at the request of the National Park Service.
This immersion gave him a unique perspective on the design, materials, construction, use and repair of these parts.
Ultimately, this inspired Robinson to read Proenneke’s 7,000 pages of chronicles and assemble this remarkable record of Dick’s creations and the evolution of his material wilderness culture.
“Dick Proenneke’s Handcrafted Life” is the first vernacular Alaskan-style publication of All the Things Necessary for a Simplified Bush Life.
For the nine chapters of the book concerning the cabin (with its signature Dutch door filled with latch and wooden hinges), outbuildings (cache, woodshed/outhouse), tools (axes, saws, shovels, rake, sled and skis) , furniture (beds, shelves, tables, benches, chairs, “letters”), metalware (mugs, lanterns, molds, pouring containers, berry pickers, lids and pans), gifts (mugs, bowls, walking sticks and knives ) and repairs, Robinson selected and compiled passages from Proenneke’s diary entries that detail the creation, use, and repair of these individual objects over more than 30 years. Robinson’s commentary is thoughtful, sober and often endearing.
The epilogue updates the reader on the repairs and restoration of this special enclave.
The book offers an abundance of high-quality photographs, detailed hand drawings, maps, a character list (including Governor Jay Hammond and First Lady Bella Hammond and other well-known locals), and a working index. The well-crafted tome is a visual record for those unable to visit the site.
Proenneke’s philosophy shines through in acts recounted here in his own words and in Robinson’s words. Although he used a small kicker for his canoe and rode a Piper Cub for several years, he rejected the use of any other power tools, especially a chainsaw. After his first year there, Proenneke stopped hunting, relying on new catches or donations from hunters for meat. He preferred to hunt with cameras and binoculars his admired animals.
Airmail was its communication; computer, smartphone never entered his world. It is indicative of how quickly the culture of Alaska has changed since its time.
The book is as much an exploration of craftsmanship as it is a timely model of how we should live by recycling, repairing, reducing consumption, and increasing awareness of our natural world.