Design and architecture critic Alexandra Lange featured the book in an astute essay for Curbed called “Your Quarantine Clutter Has a Long and Distinguished History”: According to Jen Howard’s timely new book Clutter: An Untidy History (Belt Publishing), the Victorians invented clutter. “In 19th-century Britain, during Queen Victoria’s rule,” Howard writes, “industrialization, urbanization, and the expansion of… Continue reading »
Archives for material life
Washington City Paper: “Jennifer Howard’s Clutter Is a Call to Clean It Up”
Eve Ottenberg reviewed Clutter for the Washington City Paper: How and why stuff accumulates is the subject of Jennifer Howard’s new book Clutter: An Untidy History. It begins with her cleaning out her mother’s home—an experience many people of a certain age are familiar with. The book then tackles hoarding disorder, the Victorian roots of… Continue reading »
Podcast: “Our Anxious Relationship to Stuff, with Jen Howard”
In the latest episode of her thought-provoking series, Public Intellectual, the amazing Jessa Crispin and I hash out various material messes, including pandemic hoarding and whether divorce is an advanced form of decluttering (!). Thanks to Jessa for having me on the show and for a great convo. Find the episode at the link above… Continue reading »
