Communes U.S.A.

My topic was communal living for my senior thesis. I found this book in the schools library and used it as a guide as well as storytelling on various subject pertaining to sixties topics such as hippy cult leaders, promoting horses trails instead of paved streets, drugs, natural pregnancy and birthing, escapism, land conservation. This was 20 years ago and I still am thinking back to this source. An excellent source and read to remind us of a much simplier time!!!!

In 1966, divinity student Richard Fairfield began editing a magazine called "The Modern Utopian." He also visited many communes in England, France, Holland, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. This book (published in 1972) includes a broad and detailed sympathetic survey of many American communes, including Twin Oaks (based on Skinner's utopian novel Walden Two); the Lama Foundation; Ananda; Morning Star Ranch; Tolstoy Farm; Synanon, and others (including some about whom it is hard to find information, such as Harrad West, inspired by Robert H. Rimmer's book The Harrad Experiment). Fairfield classifies the communes into "Marxist/Anarchist Ideological Communes"; "Scientific Ideology" (e.g., Twin Oaks); "Modern Religious Communes"; "Hip Communes of Rural America"; "Group Marriage Communes"; "Service Communities"; and "Youth Communes." As an example of the book's contents, Fairfield interviews Kathleen Kinkade of Twin Oaks, who observes,"Some members feel that the Walden Two image hurts us," but admits that "All of our institutions come from Walden Two, with the exception of criticism, which comes from Oneida." Fairfield's own comments are often insightful; e.g., "People who get into community too often forget about the importance of solitude." This book is highly recommended for those interested in intentional communites, communes, ecovillages, utopian communites, hippie communes, as well as Walden Two and B.F. Skinner.

Richard Fairfield traveled to many communes in the late 60's and early 70's to create this book. I lived on 3 of the communes he wrote about and I am impressed with his reporting. He captured the flavor of the sixties. This book is a must read for any 60's historian. Enjoy!

For all those interested in the hippie communes of Placitas, New Mexico, you really ought to have this book. It contains what's undoubtedly the best published account (until Lynn Montgomery publishes his) of the communes and the murder that helped to disband them, though it's reluctant to admit the possibility that the commune's unoffical (and mentally unstable) leader could have ever possibly killed anyone. It's a good read, and it contains good information on many other interesting communal movements as well, in Oregon, and northern New Mexico, and elsewhere. Anyone especially interested in the Placitas, NM hippie scene should also check out "Shelter," by Bob Easton; "The Communal Experience," by Laurence R. Veysey; "Sleeping Where I Fall," by Peter Coyote, and "Towns of the Sandia Mountains," by...uh...okay, I wrote that one. There are other books that touch on the subject as well, and at least one movie, "Cycle Escape." Good luck finding that one.