I enjoyed J.C. Hallman’s The Devil is a Gentleman several years ago so when I had the opportunity to receive a review copy of his new book, In Utopia, I couldn’t refuse. Starting from Thomas More’s book Utopia, Hallman examines how the concept of Utopia made its way through history both theoretical and in actual communal attempts at achieving it and brings it up to date by looking at a variety of communities today that are attempting to create utopia or, sometimes their founders failing to admit that’s what they are doing, are heavily influenced by utopian ideals.
It is difficult to read this book and not be both cynical – utopia is some pie in the sky idea that could never happen, ever – and hopeful because I think there is a small part of all of us that that can imagine his or her own utopia. For most of us the cynicism wins out and utopia is just a fantasy, but for others, like the people in the communities Hallman visits, utopia is very real.
What became clear to me as I read, and something I had never thought about before, is that everyone’s concept of what is utopian is different. Those whose ideas match the most are able to form a community, but what their utopia is may be very different than yours or mine. One person’s utopia is another person’s Hell.
Take Front Sight. Hallman went out to Nevada to take their four-day defensive handgun course. Most of the people he talks to during his stay seem like nice people. The only thing creepy about them is they carry guns. Everywhere. And they believe everyone should do the same because if everyone is packing then someone will think twice before committing a crime, particularly a crime that involves a gun. People will be nicer to each other too in a sort of sick cold war-like reasoning, the threat of mutual destruction makes people more respectful. But Front Sight’s vision doesn’t stop at gun training. The ultimate goal is to build a community out in the Nevada desert in which everyone can carry a gun openly. It, will, they believe, be the safest town in America.
I particularly liked the chapter on Twin Oaks, a community in Virginia. It is the longest lived secular intentional community in America. I liked this chapter best for a personal reason. I briefly worked with someone a few years ago who was thinking about going and living there. You can’t just go and move in, you must go stay as a visitor for a few weeks and then at the end of your stay the community of residents decides whether or not they will invite you into the community. The person I worked with had visited them already, and knowing him, I suspect he was not invited into the community. That explains why he was so very vague about possibly going for another visit. But just trying to imagine this person living there cracked me up. He was a nice guy but seriously lacking in all forms of social skills yet desirous of living communally.
I could go one about all the various visions and the people who have them, it’s so fascinating. Hallman writes about them all respectfully and honestly. There were so many opportunities to be sarcastic or make fun, but Hallman refrains. For the most part he doesn’t make any kind of overt judgment, allowing the reader to come to her/ his own conclusions. Sometimes I wish he would have expressed a firm opinion but it’s a minor quibble.
That sounds so interesting. My version of utopia wouldn’t include multiple handguns, but… to each their own, I guess.
Oh, Hallman contacted me about this book as well, and I was sorely tempted because it does sound interesting, but I was feeling bookishly overwhelmed that week and therefore not accepting review copies. Now I’m kicking myself a bit because his nonjudgmental approach is just what I would want, and so many books about “unusual” communities seem to be as much about the author’s opinion as about the communities. I’ll keep an eye out for this one.
This really does sound fascinating. I cannot imagine that Nevada town. A friend of mine recently told me she was going to get a gun and learn how to shoot. I honestly didn’t even know what to say to that! I think that’s the first time she’s seen me totally speechless. Anyway, I’m adding this book to my list!
This sounds like a most intriguing book. And I remember your review of J C Hallman the first time around – how about that? As for the gun-toting community, I suggest they live in the Nevada Desert and no one carries a gun. I would think that would be even safer, no?
Hi Stef,
Thanks for this kind take on the book. I’m pleased you seemed to get it it, even though I hoped to “pull the trigger” on those gun utopians a little more than I apparently did. All well and good. Maybe now I don’t have to worry about them showing up on my doorstep.
Teresa…sorry to hear you were overwhelmed. Or maybe that’s a good thing? Anyway, if you change your mind I can get you a copy of the finished book when they’re ready in July, if you want. Book’s due to be published Aug. 3.
Iliana, I have friends like that, too…like, my brother, for example, who plays a small role in the book. I really thought of the gun chapter as the one dystopian section of a book about more earnest utopians…so in most of it, no guns!
Litlove…yes, by all means. One of the things I do in the chapter is hit the guy who founded this place with a quote from H.G. Wells that says basically the same thing.
Thanks all,
Chris
Ooh, I’m excited about diving into my copy of this, maybe early in June – even more so now that I’ve read your review. What an interesting subject – I wrote part of my college thesis on More’s Utopia, which, even apart from the ambiguity around exactly what the author’s intentions were in writing it, definitely confirmed to me that everyone’s vision of an ideal (or even admirable!) society is different.
And I snickered out loud at litlove’s suggestion about living without guns in the Nevada desert. Seems to me the biggest safety concern out there would be getting enough WATER.
This sounds so interesting. I totally agree with your comment here: “One person’s utopia is another person’s Hell.” as that is what I think whenever I read a book with a utopia in it. Even Thomas Moore’s (or especially!!)
I remember hearing about Twin Oaks way back in the late 60s while reading B. F. Skinner’s Walden Two and teaching his behavioral approach to the study of behavior. I was and still am very sympathetic to his methodology and for a while for his theory. There was a time when both were very popular in psychology with a sizable number of adherents. After publishing Beyond Freedom and Dignity, Skinner was on the cover of Time and his views were the stuff of cocktail party conversations. All that has come and gone now. Yet Twin Oaks survives, one of the few intentional communities that has. Have a look at: http://www.twinoaks.org. Thank you for reminding me of those pretty exciting days of yesteryear.
I didn’t even realize there were such places (well, maybe the gun-toting community) these days. It seems I read about a small community (maybe in Colorado) that is either car-free or built without sprawl–on a tight close design. Now a car free city would be my own utopia. This book sounds interesting and I’ll have to keep an eye out for it!
Daphne, it was interesting. I’m not entirely sure what my utopia would include but I do know that it wouldn’t include handguns either.
Teresa, sorry you were overwhelmed at the time. It is a good book and I hope you get the chance to read it!
Iliana, it’s really interesting the things people consider utopian. If any of my friends said they were getting a gun I would be speechless too!
Litlove, what a good memory you have! I am impressed! The thing about the guns is so American with the NRA and the right to bear arms in the constitution (though I think the intent there was vastly different than how it is interpreted today). There are quite a few people here who think that guns do make you safer all evidence to the contrary!
Chris, well deserved
You were good with the Front Sight people and all the groups I thought, you asked some hard questions and allowed them to dig their own holes but sometimes it was hard to tell whether they were really crazy and truly believed what they were saying or only just playing at it without really believing in order to make a buck or from some other motive if that makes sense. But well done, I really don’t know how you managed to not laugh yourself silly when talking to some of them!
Emily, you will like this book then because there is much discussion about whether More was serious or joking and how, depending on which conclusion you come to, that affects the idea of utopia. Out in the NV desert you just pipe in the water so as long as no one shoots a hole in the pipes, they’re good
Rebecca, it is odd how we all have different utopian ideals, isn’t it? It’s fascinating when it stays in one community but if they try to force it on others then it becomes scary.
Richard, and thank you for the Skinner context! Really interesting. According to Hallman Skinner made a quick visit to Twin Oaks once but wasn’t very impressed.
Danielle, a car-free city would be a really interesting experiment. Sometimes when I am driving down the freeway I wish we were all riding bicycles instead of sitting in cars and I try to imagine what that would look like and how much easier it would be to get from A to B sometimes if I could ride my bike on the freeway instead of city streets.
What’s creepy about packing a gun?
My mom has done so since I was a little kid– where I grew up for the first part, it was assumed that everyone either had a gun on them or quickly available.
They’re very useful tools when it’s a reasonable assumption that you won’t be bigger and stronger than everyone who may wish you harm.
This sounds interesting. Thanks for your thoughts about this one.