I can't find the story
March 24, 2024 10:34 AM Subscribe
Please help me find this post/comment link to a short story about building community in a crisis.
I searched my favorites and bookmarks and googled to no avail. within the last year someone posted a link (maybe in a comment?) to a beautiful short story about a community during an unspecified catastrophe. they band together to take care of each other. they rig up a way to us a bicycle to create electricity to keep an old woman alive. another group attacks them but they fend them off with minimal violence. I would like to share that story elsewhere. thanks!
I searched my favorites and bookmarks and googled to no avail. within the last year someone posted a link (maybe in a comment?) to a beautiful short story about a community during an unspecified catastrophe. they band together to take care of each other. they rig up a way to us a bicycle to create electricity to keep an old woman alive. another group attacks them but they fend them off with minimal violence. I would like to share that story elsewhere. thanks!
Response by poster: BAM!! I knew that would be quick. thanks so much Wobbuffet!
posted by supermedusa at 10:37 AM on March 24 [2 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 10:37 AM on March 24 [2 favorites]
Thank you for asking this question because otherwise I wouldn’t have read this story. It was beautiful, thank you.
posted by raccoon409 at 11:04 AM on March 24 [6 favorites]
posted by raccoon409 at 11:04 AM on March 24 [6 favorites]
Two minutes from question to answer. That must be in the top ten shortest AskIntervals.
posted by y2karl at 11:23 AM on March 24 [4 favorites]
posted by y2karl at 11:23 AM on March 24 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: y2karl I knew it would be. I'm sure I favorited that post/comment but I could not find it.
I want to share this with my neighborhood facebook group and see if 1) anyone reads it 2) anyone is inspired by it.
because the best time to start building community and alliances and knowledge of each other is before a catastrophe strikes. so I might be the person who tries to get this ball rolling in my area. the story really inspires me and makes me feel a sense of hopefulness I rarely have.
posted by supermedusa at 11:37 AM on March 24 [5 favorites]
I want to share this with my neighborhood facebook group and see if 1) anyone reads it 2) anyone is inspired by it.
because the best time to start building community and alliances and knowledge of each other is before a catastrophe strikes. so I might be the person who tries to get this ball rolling in my area. the story really inspires me and makes me feel a sense of hopefulness I rarely have.
posted by supermedusa at 11:37 AM on March 24 [5 favorites]
You did us all a favor in bringing it to our attention. It reminds me of Kim Stanley Robinson's Pacific Edge in that it is an eco-utopian fantasy written by a polymath who has thought long and hard on the topic.
What amazes me about Ms. Kritzter's take is how absolutely granular she goes. It's a story that is both clarion call and Complete Idiot's Guide for Dummies detailed how-to instruction manual.
And, heh, “Superlative cosplay costumes?” -- doing it in real time. It's like a cake lit with sparklers. So thank you so much for bringing this to us. It's nice to read something that ends on an optimistic note. Also, methinks you should make a frontpage post of this to the blue where it deserves to be. That is my humble opinion.
posted by y2karl at 1:43 PM on March 24 [3 favorites]
What amazes me about Ms. Kritzter's take is how absolutely granular she goes. It's a story that is both clarion call and Complete Idiot's Guide for Dummies detailed how-to instruction manual.
And, heh, “Superlative cosplay costumes?” -- doing it in real time. It's like a cake lit with sparklers. So thank you so much for bringing this to us. It's nice to read something that ends on an optimistic note. Also, methinks you should make a frontpage post of this to the blue where it deserves to be. That is my humble opinion.
posted by y2karl at 1:43 PM on March 24 [3 favorites]
You should also read Naomi Kritzer's "So Much Cooking".
posted by belladonna at 1:56 PM on March 24 [5 favorites]
posted by belladonna at 1:56 PM on March 24 [5 favorites]
I’m in Maine, where we had a big snow storm with wind, then rain and wind, and I don’t have power, and the power company has no estimate for when I will. Could be a couple days. Lots of place got really bad ice; I have snow topped with icy snow.
I don’t have a generator, but my neighbor does, so I can have a shower. Another neighbor plowed enough of my drive way for me to get out. The town plow leaves sludge that’s really heavy; this is a a huge help.
I have a wood stove and wood, so I’m warm and can cook. And a couple propane tanks that aren’t empty. Ya never know. Great story and perfect timing, thanks.
posted by theora55 at 3:35 PM on March 24 [2 favorites]
I don’t have a generator, but my neighbor does, so I can have a shower. Another neighbor plowed enough of my drive way for me to get out. The town plow leaves sludge that’s really heavy; this is a a huge help.
I have a wood stove and wood, so I’m warm and can cook. And a couple propane tanks that aren’t empty. Ya never know. Great story and perfect timing, thanks.
posted by theora55 at 3:35 PM on March 24 [2 favorites]
supermedusa, you may have read the story because kristi posted it to the front page last year.
posted by brainwane at 6:17 PM on March 24 [4 favorites]
posted by brainwane at 6:17 PM on March 24 [4 favorites]
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posted by Wobbuffet at 10:36 AM on March 24 [16 favorites]