Number 10: Community

Vesper Stamper, in Season 2, Episode 1 of her podcast Vesperisms, speaks on the modern challenges of community and how this word is thrown about in ways that can be misleading. While this podcast is aimed at artists and their particular struggles, the idea that we actually do need other people is hardly a new one.

We live in a time like no other. Increased communication via internet has led to less face-to-face interaction — unless we’re talking about all these video calls and conferences we’re now taking part in, which is, for some of us, as close as we’ll get to a sitting in the same room as certain people. We are no longer as separated by distance and yet we’re keenly aware of the isolation prevalent in our world today. We were hurtling along this road before 2020 hit; now we’ve simply hit the accelerator. So what do we mean when we use the word “community”? What does it mean to us personally? And can we live in community through Ethernet cables or it is limited to physical presence? Vesper doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, and we can disagree with her conclusions, but she does point out some important issues that merit discussion.

So listen to the podcast here: Vesperisms, S2 E1 and then be prepared to share your thoughts, rebuttals, and queries during our monthly-ish Zoom call, scheduled for May 16 at 4pm Eastern US/10pm Central European time.

Looking forward to seeing your lovely faces!