Shameless

Hi! Hello! How are you? Good? Good.

So usually I would at least make an effort to tell you a story before begging for help but I don't have time to observe the niceties, please forgive me. About a year ago I started to work on an article (and you helped me. I probably even talked to you about it; thank you) and then it sort of languished and to be honest for the past six months I thought it was deader than the jitterbug. Then yesterday I got an email saying it was actually quite alive but in need of some significant changes and the long and the short of it is... I need to talk to someone who lives in/on a commune and is willing to share their thoughts about great it is.

Please! Do you know anybody? Know anybody who knows anybody? Know of a blog or... or anything? I am desperate and will gratefully grovel for any help you can offer. Please, if you can think of anything, leave me a comment or email me any leads you come up, no matter how weak or odd or fifth person-y. Thank you! I'll make it up to you.

Comments

[allison]

I'm sure you'll get some great feedback here, but if you don't, you can go submit a query at http://www.helpareporter.com/reporters

I work in P.R., so I follow their requests to see if I can place a source, and this kind of request seems appropriate for the kind of thing they do. Good luck!

[Colleen Widener]

I don't live on one now, but I have in the past (ages 4-18, 22-25). Email me if you want!

[Jan]

This may not be exactly the kind of commune you’re looking for, but it’s a little different. The Carpenters’ Boatshop, a small community, school, and social service organization in Pemaquid, ME, that supports itself through the building and selling of traditional wooden boats. They are a friendly group, and if you get someone at 207-677-2614, you can say that you were referred by an editor whose magazine profiled a student there some years ago.
http://www.carpentersboatshop.org/
(This young alumna from my school attended the school – this article is 6 years old, but may give you a sense of things:
http://www.brynmawr.edu/alumnae/bulletin/wi04/BuildingBoatsandaBetterWorld.shtml
If you want to contact her, I can email her and ask on your behalf and then forward (need to do this for privacy reasons).

[Jen M]

I visited this commune once a number of years ago. I bet someone from there would be happy to talk to you.

http://www.twinoaks.org/

[jm]

someone here knows somebody

http://cheeseboardcollective.coop/Cheese%20and%20Bread%20Collective/CheesePage.html

[Jenna]

Hi Julia,

A close friend of mine is married to a guy (great guy) who was raised on the "free love" compound Oprah did a story on and she ended up leaving his dad to marry the dad's best friend. I am sure they would be happy to chat with you. Email me and I'll put you guys in touch. Good Luck! xoxo Jenna

[Jan]

p.s. Speaking of Quakers, which you were some years ago, this community is in Pennsylvania. I think someone there would be happy to talk to you as well.

http://www.pendlehill.org/residentprogram/overview

[Erin]

I'll send you an email. I have an email I can give you that *might* help, but I don't want to publicize it as it's not my email.

[Val]

This link takes you to a flickr set of a woman whose dad lived on one. Maybe she could help. :) Good luck.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scrappin_in_the_rain/4438523207/#/photos/scrappin_in_the_rain/4438523207/in/set-72157623639472246/

[Jan]

p.s. Speaking of Quakers, which you were a couple of years ago, I would think that someone here would also be happy to talk to you.
http://www.pendlehill.org/residentprogram/overview

[stacy]

IIRC, the ladies of the Addition Problems blog live in cohousing, which is sort of like a less-intensive commune.

I lived in a co-op in college, but I don't know if that's exactly what you're looking for.

[Nancy]

I think these ladies live in some kind of co-housing community, maybe they can help you out!

http://additionproblems.wordpress.com/

Good luck!!
Nancy

[Emmie (Better Make It A Double)]

http://www.thefarm.org/
They have an amazing group of midwives there, you may be familiar with Ina May Gaskin? They're a well-established, long-running commune in Tennessee.

[cathy]

journeymama.com - great blog - might be a good place to check. her blog is lovely and while she and her family don't live in a commune per se, they do live "in community" (in india with four young children no less!). they're back in the states visiting right now, but you might check out her blog and see if she'd "fit."

[haitian american family of three]

OH my god! I can't believe how many people are commune connected! Awesome.

[Karen]

Check out the link bellow. It's just over the border between New York and New Jersey. A very interesting place I used to take my children to when they were babies for homeopathic treatments.

www.fellowshipcommunity.org

[Denise]

I am horribly jealous that I never lived on a commune.

So, not much to contribute...but if you want some historical perspective

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruitlands_(transcendental_center)

I remember one of my English professors telling me they ate only upward-growing vegetables.

[Annie]

Maybe not a commune, but in the past I've been significantly connected with co-op housing and intentional communities, and they're a great place to start. http://www.ic.org/. Also some friends of mine have a kibbutz in Seattle.

[susical]

here's one from Athens, GA (where I went to school) http://www.orangetwin.com/village/index.html

[L]

How are you defining "commune?" I don't remember the original article, so I don't know if you're looking for community-based living or...*thunderclap* community-based living (with, uh, group marriages and communal underwear and such).

Point being, going on Annie's suggestion about intentional communities, what about Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage?

[Mari]

I used to live in a community based living sort of situation (that focused on simplicity, reflection, spirituality, service, and justice) and it was good.

I also know of someone who has lived in intentional community for about 10 years and will probably live that way for many more years unless she gets married. I think she would move out of community then, but would visit community members as often as possible.

We're only in our twenties, but wanna talk?

[Mari]

Oh and I know a 40-something woman who lives in a co-housing situation as well

[Lemonadefish]

I grew up near here, and visited on occasion. Everyone was very nice, and someone might like to talk with you: http://www.eastwind.org/

They support the community by making organic nut butters and hammocks.

My parents had a small sort of commune before I was born - it was the sort where somebody's hippy brother shows up expecting meals but can't be bothered to milk the goats on time (and where the women end up earning money and doing all the chores, while the men go find themselves...) So, probably not what you need for this, but I can put you in touch with some of these hippies if you want.

[Beth]

I don't know her personally but Sarah Carey, deputy food editor of MS Living, grew up on a commune.

[colleen]

Julia--I have lived in a co-housing community in Central Vermont (www.cobbhill.org) since 2001. I've been reading your blog for years so I'd be happy to "give back" by talking to you, if you'd like. Feel free to email me.
(Caveat: I'm heading off to Tennessee tomorrow afternoon to visit my family for a week, so I'll be checking my email sporadically).

[Kate]

After reading a book on Hutterites, I did a little online research and found this blog (http://blogs.allhutterites.com/lightofevenstar/). I've never contacted the writer, but you might...

[Shannon]

Wow! Lots of responses! I thought I would be able to help out, since I live in hippy-central Boulder, where I have several friends living in communal homes. But it looks like you should be all set! Contact me if all the others fall through for some reason :-)

[Kate]

Seconding Shannon - An old friend of mine lives on a commune and I could probably track her down if the other leads fall through. They sound stronger than mine, though!

[Katie]

My mother-in-law actually lives "in community" (I don't think they use the word commune) and has for the last 20 years or so. It's a sufi community in a former Shaker village. Over the years she's lived more and less communally as the community population has changed. When my husband was a teenager he spent summers there and remembers taking turns cooking communal meals, etc. Feel free to contact me for more information, or try contacting the Abode directly, I'm sure whoever you reached would be happy to talk to you about living in community.
http://www.abode-of-the-message.org/calendar/

[shadymama]

my mama's trying to start up a community housing project in denver - she's got alla the hook ups with those commune hippies, and i'd be happy to hook *you* up with her if you need it, just email. good luck! i'd love to read the article when it's done, as my dream is a community based farm. also you can google la boca farm durango colorado and there may be good stuff there.

[Deborah VA]

I actually lived on 'The Farm' of TN fame. I'd be glad to tell you the experience, and it was quite live-altering as I was only 16.

[Tine]

Julia, there's a local cohousing community that doesn't call itself a commune, but it kind of is one.

It's called the Monterey Cohousing Community, and it's in St. Louis Park. Hubby and I actually investigated living there. Took a tour, attended a meeting, got on the mailing list, joined the folks for a communal meal. They are friendly folk and quite willing to talk about their community.

Also...it's right here. Local phone call. Easy drive.

See www dot montereycohousing dot org for more info.

[Jenny]

I lived here for 3 years. Well, in Bowers House specifically. I bet someone from there would be willing to speak with you. Good luck!

[Jenny]

Me again, my html sucks. It's www.qumbya.com. Yup, kum-bay-yah with a Q.

[Jenny]

Me again, my link didn't work. Try www.qumbya.com. Yup, it's kum-bay-yah with a Q.

[amanda]

Our local NPR did a story on an anarchist commune in North Carolina. I will paste the description and link below:

Five years ago, Liz Seymour gave up her marriage, her bedroom and her office and turned her family home into a community of anarchists.

At 50, her old life was no longer working for her. While her husband wanted quiet, Liz needed noise and activity. Her two grown daughters introduced her to a group of young anarchists in her city. She now shares her home with five of them.

The group divides chores and responsibilities. They sometimes "dumpster-dive" for food. As a result, their expenses are close to nil and their time is filled with creative pursuits. Dick talks with Liz Seymour about her daily life - and the changes in her thinking.

http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_287_ID_Theft_Anarchy.mp3/view

[Christa]

Wow. I am so sheltered. Good luck with your article.

[Smumzie]

Ok, well remember, you asked for it. You will undoubtedly find parts of this unbelievable but I swear to you it's all true.

My cousin A is in a lesbian relationship with L. L's 2 kids live with A and L. A's brother J was also gay until he got religion 15 years ago and when the church tried to "fix" him, they made him marry a woman who already had 3 kids, the oldest of which is R. They had sex at least once apparently because they had twins. One of those 14 year old twins lives with all these folks now, too.

Now pay attention because this is where it gets tricky. A and L wanted a baby together so A asked her brother J's oldest stepston R to help her with it.

So he wacked into a cup and wouldn't you know it, they used a turkey baster and A got pregnant. Then brother J got divorced, announced he was gay and moved in with A and L. When J announced he was gay again, his wife kicked him out. His mother (my aunt)I, was living with J, his wife and their 5 kids, including their 14 year old twins. So I moved, along with J and one of J's twins, into the house with A and L.

So, does this count as a commune? A and L share their house with A's mom, I, L's 2 kids by some random guy, A and L's new baby with R as the dad (and cousin remember) and J who askes to be called "Uncle Papa" because he's both the uncle and the grandfather of this new kid.

It's such a Jerry Springer family that you can't help but laugh before you cry (I hope).

Here's the thing. I'm an Ivy-league graduate who's married to a Yale scientist. We live a nice life in CT and no one would ever expect to find a dirty little secret like this hidden in my family. But you know what? I love each and every one of these wacky chicks (because, let's face it - J is a chick too - in fact he can be a real bitch at times).

AND O MY GAWD! I almost forgot to mention!! THE BEST PART? R (the cousin, step son, father of A and L's baby) IS MARRIED TO A MIDGET! Who also just gave birth to their second child.

I'm not using the word "midget" as a pejorative either. She introduced herself to me as "Midge." I'm not sure I've ever even heard her real name.

Seriously, they're a great group of people but it's the wackiest little commune on Earth. Hope it helps you get to a great article!

[Smumzie]

nuts! So that was supposed to be "asks" to be called Uncle Papa, a typo, sorry!

And I forgot to add that none of these people has a real job. A has recently started doing tattoos. J is on disability after having "caught the spina bifida" when he was around 30 (not even kidding. says he "caught the spina bifida" at 30. yep).

Their mother, I, is maybe 350 lbs and smokes 2 packs a day but claims she can't work because of her "asthma" and is also on disability.

Not sure if L has any money coming in or where it comes from.

Hope this helps!

[Lizzie]

For the three years my daughter was in preschool we drove by a housing co-op that was certified as the "greenest" house in the northeast. (Who does this certifying, I do not know.) I don't know anyone personally who lives there, but when there has been a room opening it is always posted on our local mom's list. (And there are two little kids in residence now, I believe.) There is contact info at the bottom of the page I'm linking to.

http://www.commonfire.org/community/coopwhat.html

[Dawn]

I was going to suggest contacting Camp Hill (http://www.camphillkimberton.org/), but Smuzie's tale sounds much more interesting!

[Nellig]

Hi Julia,

Here's a really interesting, well-organised commune in the UK. If you've heard of the Hobbit House, this is where it is. Wouldn't mind living there myself.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/easy-living-the-truth-about-modern-communes-2020668.html

[Amelia Sprout]

I grew up on a commune in the 80's. Not so current, but still very much a part of my life. My mom works for a communal housing company now, and lives in a cooperative housing development in Boulder.

[Clarity]

Smumzie I totally want to be friends now. Call me!!!

[punch]

well, this is late i'm sure, but my husband grew up very near and dear to morning glory farm commune in northern ontario. he didn't live in the commune but being as he was a child in the "hippie" community of draft dodgers and the like, he knows a fair bit, and he knows the people who live(d) there.

[Deborah]

I grew up in a commune until age 18. It was part of an international organisation that had communities around the world. Growing up this way was is something I value immensely and I would love to tell you about it if you are still looking for sources