The art of building a fire, by Dave Johansen

I’ve been reading my dad’s old newsletters lately. I’m fortunate that physical copies were kept by a woman who enjoyed reading them so much that she kept every copy over the years. There is so much laughter, joy and yes sadness in reading them, but also so many insights and wisdom that I felt compelled to start sharing them. The first one I’ll start with is from January, 2009. My dad loved fires and his affection for them could not ring more true than here, in what manifests itself as a love letter to the art of a wood-burning fire.

With a brief warm spell swiftly erased by more cold weather here in the Midwest, I thought this letter was especially fitting. Maybe after reading you’ll feel compelled to craft your own fire on this cold winter weekend.