TMEN Founder John Shuttleworth — a very gifted writer/publisher has passed away
While at the Energy Fair I learned from Richard Freudenberg, the editor of Back Home Magazine out of North Carolina, that John Shuttleworth, the founder of Mother Earth News, has died. John was 71. He was found in his hot tub, having died of natural causes, presumably a heart attack. Freudenberg had worked for Shuttleworth for many years at Mother Earth News and was very fond of him.
I knew Shuttleworth only a little. We corresponded over the years by phone and snail mail, but I never met him in person. He had a bit of an abrupt personality, ticking off many people, including me, on occasion. But I had a very high regard for him. Most people think of Shuttleworth as one of the first environmentalists and a back-to-the-land pioneer who was ahead of his time, but I saw him first as a truly superb writer. Shuttleworth was brilliant in how he wove the English language into a story that was both readable and engaging. It is a talent very few people have, and I believe it was the prime reason TMEN had early success. He once told me he never found anyone who could handle copy (a story) they way he wanted it handled.
I was surprised when I learned the news. Maybe I missed it in the media, but his passing should have gotten a lot of coverage. He was, in my opinion, a truly great talent.
Hot and humid at the Fair
We’re sweltering in the heat and humidity at the MREA Energy Show, but having fun anyway. I won’t be posting the photos of everyone coming to the booth wearing a BHM t-shirt this year; we’re too exhausted once we get back to the motel in the evening and have opted to go right to bed to rest up for the next day. I have posted one photo, however, of Bob and Edna Ulrich of Brainerd, Minnesota, who drove 7 hours to get to the show.
Annie is doing most of the work of waiting on customers at the Fair while I walk about the grounds checking things out.
June 20th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Personally, I always thought TMEN was sort of the ‘National Enquirer’ of the back to the land movement. The hokey ‘down-home’ language (sawdust became ‘tree sand’ or some such) was bad enough, but the articles never lived up to the hype on the front cover, and were generally poorly researched. You had to read the letters in the next four issues to see what was wrong with the idea.
June 21st, 2009 at 5:42 am
The early TMEN articles were full of detail and well thought out so you could actually do yourself what they were talking about. We have kept all the old issues. In the last 8 years of so it has become more of a “Yuppie” magazine, more story than meat. The early TMEN magazines are the best ones. John Shuttleworth truly made the magazine’s reputation. He will be missed.
June 21st, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Sorry to hear of Mr. shuttleworths passage as “his” early version of TMEN had a tremendous effect on my life when I first found it at about issue No. 48. At that time it was like my Bible for getting back to the land. Yes, John was probably one of the first environmentalists but it’s my opinion that he was a common sense conservationist and nothing in comparison to those wacky left tree huggers of today.
I also loved the writing style that he developed for TMEN and I taught myself a college education by studying his writer’s guidelines with intense passion. As a result they ended up buying two feature articles from me, one of which they used in No. 86. Regretfully, I eventually canceled my subscription in 2000 when I felt they only offered one opinion during the national elections and I wasn’t interested in the brand of environmentalism and activism they had become and nothing in line with what John & Jane Shuttleworth had given us.
Thanks for the heads up about someone who had a profound effect on my life during the 1970′s and 80′s.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
John was a gifited individual, and was responsible as any one person for the success of the back to the earth movement. While “MOTHER’ was under his guidence it was a GREAT inspiration and help to me personally. I looked forward to each issue and read it cover to cover…… the tips, tricks and ‘look what I did’ articles were wonderful. After the sale the phrase came to mind….. ‘where am I and why am I in this handbasket???’
John left a void, somewhat filled by Dave and BHM, FARM SHOW, and a few other publications. But there has never been another John and the original MOTHER.
October 18th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
I was just 8 when Mother #1 was first published, and about 14 when I discovered it and became addicted and a subscriber. I learned so much and stayed a subscriber until the sale. I searched high and low until I found all the back issues I didn’t have. I now have #1 and all up to the sale protected in binders. I will be gifting them to my 29 year old son this year, to use on his 14 acres, along with a gift subscription to BHM. RIP, Mr. Shuttleworth, you lit a light in my soul, and passed it down to my child.
March 20th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
I was shocked to hear of his death at this late date and I had to goggle his name to find out. I was an early follower of TMEN and with it other; Nearings, John Vivian, Nancy Bubel among many others.
I never had the urge to pay him a visit but I did get a collection of all the hard copy early issues when he and his wife were in charge.
Read his interview that is available on the web and it rings true today.
Too bad his foresight was paid heed and we are in dire straits because of this.
I sometimes wondered what he did after his days with Mother and envisioned him collaborating with Amory Lovins or the like.
He was ahead of his times (promoting Permaculture no less) and I hope we don’t ignore his words of wisdom any longer.
God Bless John, my you rest now in peace.