MARC EISNER PERSONAL INFORMATION

Outside of the shop - where the most important things actually take place - Eisner spends time with his wife (Patricia) and his sons (Jonathan and Benjamin). He loves to pick, strum, plant, brew, bike, climb, shoot, tie, hoist, and seduce trout in local streams. He rarely does these things simultaneously unless he has a grant.

Professor Eisner (left) and his brother Naben, 1968

Eisner's interest in many of his outdoor engagements began at an early age as he explored the environs of Buffalo Creek with his brother Naben.  The explorations continue today, albeit in an annual sojourn to the wooded hills of Western Wisconsin.

Eisner often conducts his research and "field work" while contemplating the transcendent teachings of the Blind Reverend Gary Davis and finger picking on his Martin or his Regal Duolian.  Although the Reverend has passed across the River Jordan, many of his disciples continue to spread the good news (including Jorma Kaukonen, Roy Book Binder, and Rory Block).

Eisner is also devoted to exploring the role of spontaneous orders in bluegrass jams, often attempting (and only attempting) to approximate the timeless mandolin chops of Bill Monroe in a picking society comprised of fellow Wesleyan faculty members who play a repertoire that ranges from old time jug music to Guns and Roses.