Crawdad Slip: The Luck Family Potters of Seagrove, North Carolina

"Slip" is a kind of pottery glaze made from fine clay thinned with water. Sid Luck, a fifth generation potter, calls his favorite kind of slip "crawdad slip," since he discovered the clay at a stream where his boys were looking for crawdads one day. Sid, his father Jim, and his son Jason are interviewed here, each imparting their perspectives on their craft. Jim had to make pottery during the Depression to help bring in money; Sid enjoyed the craft, but until the tourist boom hit Pinehurst, NC, pottery was not a way to support a family; Jason likes fashioning the classic, old-time utility pieces, not boutique items, but he is studying computer engineering and isn't interested in staying in his sleepy North Carolina town. Modern pressures figure large in each man's story, whether it was Jim's handmade crockery competing against factory-produced products, Sid's wanting to use local clay even though purchased clay is much cheaper, or Jason's desire to live somewhere more appealing to a 20-year-old. More than a look at a time-honored craft, this interesting documentary, with its family photos, crockery artifacts, and sweet old-time music, is a pleasure in itself. Recommended, especially for senior centers and public libraries. Aud: P. (R. Reagan)