Exploring Campania - Sorrento, Amalfi & Positano

John Steinbeck once wrote that 'Positano bites deep' and it does. The same is true of all this stretch of Campanian coastline. Heading out of the city of Naples and travelling south along the coastal road, the landscape opens up as the road winds along the riviera and then turns inland towards Mount Vesuvius. With the dormant volcano climbing on your left and the azure blue sea on your right, you find yourself thundering through the first of three deep tunnels carved into the cliffside - after a series of switchbacks and hairpins the road opens up again to reveal the bay of Sorrento with its quaint fishing harbours and clifftop hotels.

Reconnaissance #40

Every week, The Listening Post delivers a curated roundup of the past week's best links. It's been a while, so heres a bumper edition of this week's Reconnaissance:

> Take a Look Inside Hemingway's Cuban Retreat - Huckberry

> Shop Visit with Boat Builder Turned Furniture Designer, Asa Pingree - The Hand & Eye

> Hunting for Treasure in New Mexico's High Desert - 5280 Magazine

> How Jack Hitt Finds His Stories - Longform 

> Lessons Learned In Japan - Buckets & Spades

> Portraits of English Cities in the 1970s - The Guardian

> Exploring Post Mafia Palermo - Monocle Magazine

> Weaving Shibusa - The Story of Japanese Denim - Vimeo

-  Keep listening. 

London: Hostem's In-house Haeckels Dispensary

East London retailer Hostem recently opened their new spring showroom on Nichol Street close to their Redchurch Street HQ. The gallery creates an open plan environment where a sturdy oak framework sitting beneath a vaulted glass ceiling is complemented by artworks from of Graham Collins, Lucien Smith, and Kika Karadi. The showroom recently saw the introduction of its own in-house dispensary dedicated exclusively to natural fragrance and skin care brand, Haeckels.

Bringing it All Back Home: Making the American Man

In 1950, domestic manufacturing accounted for 30% of the USA's GDP. These days its around 12%. Since the 1980s, many famous American brands have been shifting manufacturing operations abroad where labour is cheaper and profit margins are higher. For many, this shift away from a nation's proud tradition was the beginning of the end of the American dream.

Recently launched through Indiegogo and premiering on Netflix a few days ago, Making the American Man tells the story of a cadre of brands that are bringing manufacturing back home and doing things the right way - with passion and with purpose. Through the stories of makers and crafters from all across the fifty states, the film explores the notion of American masculinity and how this movement of designers, doers and artists are putting 'Made in America' back on the map.