Web Features
Four very different father figures help guide a communitarian son into adulthood, as he combines distinctive traits of each.
Easing themselves in and out of each other’s houses, yards, and chicken coops, members of White Hawk Ecovillage find traditional borders becoming more porous.
Though “baby having” had not been a consensus decision, a small community embraces a newborn, survives his infancy, and bonds like any other family: doing each other’s dishes, snuggling on the couch, and fighting over who gets a shower before the hot water runs out.
Twelve-year-old Jibran has always lived with fuzzy boundaries between “family” and “community.” They became even fuzzier when he came home to discover his mom’s positive pee test.
A mother responds to empty-nest syndrome by discovering her new family in community.
What do Hopi Indians, John Keats, lost loves, intentional community, and family have in common? For better or worse, they’ve combined to befuddle, enlighten, dismay, and inspire our author.
Geoph Kozeny’s community documentary brings forth reflections on Hearthaven, discussions among neighbors and friends, and ultimately a new intergenerational family community.
Reviews of two great books on community living, one on life in a convent with surprising insights even for the most secular, and one on the history of utopian experiments in Oregon.
Also in This Issue (Print Version Only)
· NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: FAMILY
· WHEN AN ECOVILLAGE IS RAISING YOUR CHILD
Two mothers at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage describe the benefits and challenges of raising children with 30 different community “parents” also involved.
· ONE THOUSAND LOAVES OF BREAD: Reflections on Life Lessons in an Intentional Community
Understanding Israel
Three decades teaching children in the crucible of community underscores the irreplaceable role of experiential learning.
· MOREHOUSE—CHOOSING YOUR FAMILY
Judy St. John & Arlene Goens & Ben Oliver & Ilana Firestone & Marilyn Moohr
You can pick your friends but you can’t pick you family? The members of Lafayette Morehouse would beg to differ, although the Cleavers they are not.
· BEING ALMOST TWO-YEARS-OLD—AGAIN
Shepherd Bliss
Childless by choice, a former military brat finds himself in the role of grandpa, being re-parented away from his own rigid childhood into a greater appreciation of life.
· G8
Lawrence Siskind
They don’t represent any governments, they don’t live together, and there are nine of them, not eight, but these polyamorous friends still feel empowered to love each other, addressing one another with the f-word: family.
· SMOKER AND MIRRORS?
Lawrence Siskind
· HOW TO ENCOURAGE INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY
· A COMMUNITY NEWCOMER FINDS HER RHYTHM
Melanie Ravensong Martin
Thanks to music, nature, and sympathetic fellow passengers, climbing aboard the Mothership turns out to be not such an alien experience after all.
· WE’RE ALL IN THE FAMILY
Karbyn Eilde
Whether within traditional families or in chosen intentional community families, most people will have a chance to interact or even live with someone with Asperger’s Syndrome (high functioning autism). An Aspie shares some tips on helping it go well.
· HOW TO GET ALONG WITH YOUR ASPERGER’S NEIGHBOR
· TO THE DOCTOR...OR NOT?
· SUGGESTED AUTHORS AND WEBSITES
Voices
· LETTERS: ON THE SHAKERS, HIGH WIND, FRED LAMPHEAR, HEALTH, BULLYING, STAN CROW, AND MORE
· PUBLISHER'S NOTE: PROBLEM SOLVING IN COMMUNITY
· COOPERATIVE GROUP SOLUTIONS: FAMILY DRAMAS
