American Community

MARK S. FERRARA is associate professor of English at the State University of New York and author of several books, including Palace of Ashes (2015), Sacred Bliss (2016), and New Seeds of Profit (2019). He lives with his wife in an intentional community dedicated to sustainable living and experiential learning in upstate New York.

• Introduction: Community of Goods in the ColoniesEphrata • Zwaanendael • Bohemia Manor 1 Revolution and Social ReformationZoar • Modern Times • New Harmony • Hopedale • Skaneateles • Bishop Hill • Icarian Communities 2 Sleeping Cars, Spiritualism, and CooperativesPullman • Brotherhood of the New Life • Rugby Colony • Belton Woman's Commonwealth • Mound Bayou • Kaweah Cooperative Commonwealth • Ruskin Colony 3 Theosophy, Depression, and the New DealPoint Loma • Llano del Rio • Arthurdale • Phoenix Homesteads • Aberdeen Gardens • Greendale • Greenhills • Greenbelt • Celo Community • Hospitality Houses • Sunrise Cooperative Farm 4 Hippies, Arcology, and EcovillagesEndicott-Johnson • La Honda • Drop City • Libre • Morning Star Ranch • Wheeler's Ranch • Chosen Family • The Farm • Womanshare Collective • Mulberry Family • Arcosanti • EcoVillage Ithaca Afterword: The Next WaveAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

"Mark Ferrara brings history alive with vivid descriptions of unique intentional communities, and their idealistic, and often quirky founders. He makes a compelling case that this particularly American impulse to build communities, in order to promote the values of equality, cooperation, and care for the earth, is both in response to the historical moment and also has helped to shape American society through bold innovation. A fascinating read!"— Liz Walker, author of EcoVillage at Ithaca: Pioneering a Sustainable Culture"Amid the isolation of new motherhood, I found solace in the communes of TikTok," vy Linnie Greene— Fast Company"Mark Ferrara's tour of America's intentional communities is an engrossing journey into the best of American idealism. Ferrara has focused on communities not widely known and enriches our knowledge of these experimental utopias."— Timothy Miller, author of The Encyclopedic Guide to American Intentional Communities"Highly recommended."— Choice