For historians, the blend of the diverse essays is helpful in that it encourages linking past (and the history of crafts used for resistance and activism) to present (successful models of craft for political and economic engagement). This type of connection can only deepen our understanding of the history of craft for activism (or craftivism), and our representation of it in our museum collections and writing. For readers interested in engaging in craft for dissent, the lessons of activist crafting, both in the distant and more recent past, are valuable in making decisions about how to carry out craft-based actions.

New York History

Hinda Mandell’s comprehensive anthology arrives three years after the 2016 U.S. Presidential election and the advent of craftivism’s third wave, a ripe time for an in-depth examination of political craft. The talented authors cover a lot of ground — from early Roman resistance to the Pussyhats of today — and much like the field’s communal ethos, their combined efforts result in a collective potency. Together, the contributors illuminate the many ways in which craft offers agency, cultivates resiliency, and strengthens our social fabric. As a museum curator and engaged citizen, I will be keeping this volume close at hand.

Beth C. McLaughlin, chief curator of exhibitions and collections, Fuller Craft Museum

Refreshingly, the contributors in this volume do not present a tidy, celebratory, step-by-step guide to handmade activism, instead they address the many contingencies of both craftivist discourse and action as they engage with issues of race, class, gender, and power. They show that handwork wielded by engaged citizens has the power to reshape the stories we build our cultures around while simultaneously requiring similarly critical transformation itself.

Sonja Dahl, artist, writer, activist

In a word, empowering. After reading Crafting Dissent: Handicraft as Protest from the American Revolution to Pussyhats I had to spend time reflecting with my needle and thread. This collection of thoughtful essays empowers through its stories of handicraft as it is tied to social justice. Women have had a voice for centuries, but sometimes it has had to be vocalized through their crafty creations.

Sarah Marsom, heritage resource consultant

[C]ontemporary craft scholars, makers, and the general public alike will find this to be a useful book with which to begin seeing dissent as a through line across different temporalities. In particular, communications scholars will find this volume to be a rich resource as this perspective permeates the book both through the editor and many of the authors. Nevertheless, authors from a variety of backgrounds each bring their expertise to bear without using discipline-specific language, which sets an accessible tone. The relatively short chapters and the use of full-color images adds to this approachability.

H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online