Rainbow Koala Farm

remember kids

Not Just Communes: A Reading List on Intentional Communities

Christine Ro brings us six stories highlighting communal living, past and present. 

Like many people, I developed some strange fixations during the pandemic. One week, I fell down an embarrassing rabbit hole of watching, and learning the rules of, sheepdog trials. It was all too easy to sentimentalize rural traditions while cocooned within my 16th-floor apartment.

Intentional communities offered a more enduring fascination. They’ve been described as voluntary living arrangements of at least five people from multiple families, with a sense of affinity outside of the mainstream, though not necessarily pooled income. For instance, one tiny community that I learned about was a 10-person household in rural Austria, made up of  permanent members and donation-based visitors, in a continuing battle for financial solvency and a critical mass of residents. Overall, it’s not hard to see why the pandemic drove my curiosity about intentional communities. Being cooped up at home naturally made me consider alternatives for a less isolated life.