Today on the site I’m delighted to welcome a number of the queer contributors of Living, Together: Reimagining Community in the Age of Disconnection ed. by Samantha Paige Rosen, a brand-new nonfiction anthology from Beacon Press! Before we get to the insider peek from the contributors, here’s a little more about the book:
21 writers and organizers on chosen family, hacking adulthood, and other lessons communal living can teach us about the future of housing in America
At age 29, when Samantha Paige Rosen made an unexpected move back home, she was surprised to find how much she loved living with her parents again. Inspired and curious, she began searching for others who had redefined home and community.
The essays and Q&As in Living, Together are about carving out spaces of communal connection and joy in our 3-bed, 2-bath starter home culture. Although they recount life at different stages and in different regions, these stories showcase the delights and tradeoffs of more dynamic shapes of “home.” Across sections on family, intentional community, and what lies beyond housing, readers will hear from voices like:
- Kristen Arnett, whose found family kept her afloat, from weddings to hurricane season and everything in between
- Kim Stanley Robinson, who describes the magic of communities that are led by everyone
- Sarah Thankam Mathews, who founded a pandemic mutual aid group and discovered, like so many of us, how essential connection and care are in times of crisis
- Rodney M. Bordeaux, who explores how strength and unity are inextricably tied to life on First Nations reservations
Communal living isn’t just for cults or millennials with a pipe dream. Amidst the climate crisis, a hostile housing market, and the loneliness epidemic, Living, Together opens a window into how people in the US are thriving through collective care. This book invites us to imagine what new opportunities for connection exist when we push through the walls society has built for us.
And here’s a selection of the contributors to talk about their essays!
Continue reading Inside an Anthology: Living, Together ed. by Samantha Paige Rosen