Tag: Robert Putnam

America the Lonely

December 27, 2018

Could the source of our national sickness and my own ongoing sense of incompleteness be one and the same? And could the solution be–if not simpler, then far more elemental–than we think?

The Thread of Community

December 26, 2018

I have begun to see that the hole in my soul that has recently been calling out for attention is in the shape of something I have thought more about than almost anyone, but, in reality, have less of than almost everyone.

About Project Reconnect

What is it about our culture, habits, and daily lives that makes it so hard to feel connected, enmeshed in supportive community, and whole?

I started Project Reconnect in 2019 to experiment with very personal and local ways to challenge and change the hyper-individualism that has created a crisis of loneliness and social fragmentation in America. As I have reviewed my pre-pandemic writing, I’ve been astonished at how resonant it feels as we look to a post-Covid future.

And so, Project Reconnect continues—under circumstances that make experiencing deep connection feel more challenging and elusive than ever. Today my ambitions are humbler, my approach a bit gentler, and my starting point more vulnerable, more raw. Indeed, what felt like an urgent endeavor in 2019 feels like a burning fire of need in 2021—both personally and collectively.

So join me–let’s reconnect.