What does it take to “live simply”? Sounds easy enough, but when we dig deeper into what drives the actions of human beings, it gets a little more complicated. 

We’re with Hank Lentfer when he says, “I want to grow carrots not because agribusiness is a filthy, greedy, heartless beast, but because rooting in the dirt is fun, worms are groovy creatures, and you can’t buy the sweet satisfaction of a fresh carrot at any price. I want to live a simple, rooted life not because a place of privilege feeds on other people’s poverty, but because meals of venison, potatoes, and berry pie fill our kitchen with gratitude-crazed grins. I want to leave the car in the driveway not because the carbon spilling from the exhaust will tip the planet into an inferno, but because a bike ride puts wind in your face and birdsong in your ears. It pumps blood through your veins and reminds us that life is a dizzyingly splendid idea.” 

This anthology explores what it can look like to seek out slow living and embrace a life steeped in intentionality. Whether it’s navigating grief to decluttering a home or habits to processing trauma, the writers in these pages have a wide variety of lived experiences and approach simple living differently–but they all end up in the same place: living the life they are made to live. You’ll move from Romania to Colorado to New Zealand to Minnesota to New England to Canada with these writers, and by doing so, you’ll see that there are folks in search of simple, scattered near and far. We hope this anthology inspires you to find the pace of life that sets you up to best contribute to the healing of the world. 

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