Hey! I was on the radio yesterday!
And now there’s a whole 15 minutes of podcast!
Martha Manikas-Foster and I had a conversation based on my post on the “New Domesticity” that appeared a while back on the Christianity Today women’s blog. It was, in Martha’s words, ” a conversation that ranges from the value of unpaid work to the call of God on our lives.”
Check it out! And leave a comment, if you’re so inclined. {Click here.}
Loved the thought of God’s turning the seasons is repetative yet valuable. I also liked hearing your testimony of how your domesticity is new for you as an adult. Mine is largely a continuation from how I was raised which I am so thankful for now! As a teenager I rolled my eyes at my mother’s homemade ways, but I am so thankful for the heritage of resourcefulness and knowledge of skills for creating things ourselves.
Great radio interview, Rachel. What I don’t get is why would someone give up those things if that’s what they wanted to do? I guess it’s not a gender thing for me; rather it seems to be a matter of one’s interests. I don’t fit the mold of the New Domesticity myself but I sure appreciate and enjoy the fruits of others’ interest in it!
I can hold my own when it comes to basic housework, though. One of my summer jobs in college was as a maid at the UCSB alumni resort program, so your comments about jobs like garbage collectors really resonated with me. I remember one of the women staying at the resort being so surprised that I was a student at UCSB, just like she had been. She apparently thought we were all mere drudges doing the only work we were qualified for. That really fried me, not because it denigrated me but because it denigrated the work itself. My Dad taught me early on that any honest work was worth honoring.
Speaking of what I learned early on, when I was a kid both of my folks did the domestic stuff; bread making, canning, home made granola, chickens in the back yard, they were all part of growing up. We never knew it was domesticity, though. I figured it was just a way to save a buck. Plus it tasted good.
Tim
P.S. It’s odd to hear your own voice, isn’t it? Back in college and law school I did some DJ work. The last stint was at a Christian music station. Every once in a while I’d hear a recording of a show I did. Later when I became a worship leader I’d hear recordings of songs I’d done. In either case, I think I sound weird.
YES! “New domesticity” = domestic by choice = feminist. Great interview, Rachel!
What if it’s a guy who’s doing it, like my Dad back in the 60s?
Great interview, Rachel – thanks for posting the podcast! It was so nice to hear your voice again, and I miss our chats over tea. :-)
Aw, I miss our talks over tea, too. I really do need a week or so in Chicago-land. So many peeps I love there!