I think the Alternative Media Conference I went to in perhaps 69 or 70 was
perhaps not in Ann Arbor, maybe it was at Madison. The bus from NYC had
folks
from LNS, NR, and I remember that Melvin Margolis (Fire) was with us. I have
some photos taken at the conference. It was inside in a University space.
I just read Communal Organization & Social Transition, A case study from the
couterculture of the Sixties & Seventies by Barry Laffan. Published by
American University Studies. The worst thing abt the book was that the
names
were all changed and it made the story confusing for me. It is a book about
communes in Southern VT and Ma. Lots centered around Putney and Brattleboro
VT. I can see my commune in it . It talks about the Free Vermont movement
a little. It was written as a phd thesis I believe. The author died before
it was published.
We had a Free Vermont reunion of folks from lots of communes about 10 years
ago. We rented a girlscout camp on the lake with lots oftent cabins
The Arts and Crafts cabin became our museum of artifacts. It was great.
Andy
Kopkind wrote abt it in a Boston magazine or newspaper.
My parents belonged to a Socialist/nature camp called Nature Friends, it was
of German origins. The group was on HUAC's list. They were persecuted by
Hitler. There use to be a camp in Midvale NJ, IT LAtter turned in to a
summerhill school. There are still club houses in California, one in Sierra
Madre, another near the Russian River, and one in Squaw Valley. They still
have a place in Switzerland.
Maybe 15 yrs ago there ws a red diaper gathering at a camp in New Hampshire.
A book came out of that called Red Diaper Babies. One night we sat around
singing every commie camp song we had ever heard
. I have one copy of Thru the Looking Glass in my Archives. Write me if you
want more info.
My best. Roz