Topic: Communes

Old Hippies Returning to Communes

In the 1960s and 70s, living on a commune was a cool thing to do...for awhile. By the 80s, most had moved out of these "intentional communities" -- artists' collectives, religious communes, or self-help oriented communes -- got jobs and started anew. This Atlantic Monthly article follows one woman back to The Farm in Tennessee where she gave birth to her first child at 16 and is finalizing her return to the place she has always considered home. She is among a number of "hippies" taking the road back to a community that meets their needs again at this later stage in their lives.