LIVE & on Zoom: 11 am to 1 pm 

We will discuss chosen families in both real and fictional life. Tell us about yours!

Line Marriage: Multi-Generational Group Marriage, triads, and other unusual alternatives are described in The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. While some of the choices made in this example are influenced by the lack of females compared with males on Luna, some excellent examples of “different kinds of family” are offered here.

Time Enough for Love’s Tersius colony Family features a large group marriage 2000 years in our future consisting of many of our favorite characters from Heinlein’s other stories. Their only absolute for being part of this marriage is that all adults pledge to support and to bring up with love (until the age of maturity) all children produced by the ladies in the marriage already born or in the womb (at the time of the marriage)—whoever put those babies in their wombs, co spice or not! This is happening on a planet where the government would not think of interfering in one’s marital choices and only your very advanced geneticist gets a vote on whom you make babies with.

The water-sharing ceremony in Stranger In a Strange Land is the best example of Family by Choice and has affected families in reality, probably more than any other of his books. Church of All Worlds and many other less formal groups, including my own intimate friendship network, have used this as a model for permanent committed relationships which may shift from lovers to friends and back again multiple times during an ongoing relationship. Members of a Nest may live together or be “semi–residential.”  They may live nowhere near each other, but maintain their bonds through phone calls and in–person visits (weekly, monthly, or perhaps a few times a year). The patterns are endless. 

The common denominator is long–term loving commitment. Some of these relationships (including in our own Nest) have lasted 30-50 years and are not uncommon. Which science fiction writings most affected the choices YOU have made regarding family and relationship structure? Bring your own experiences to share with us!

LIVE ONLY FROM HERE DOWN

1 pm | Potluck Lunch

2 to 4 pm | Afternoon Activity: WE’LL WORK OUT SOME ACTION STEPS FOR HELPING YOU LIVE YOUR DREAM—whether that turns out to be group living, a triad, a group marriage or just being part of a joy-sharing intimate network. Our present group house got its start at just such an event in 2003… 

Enjoy Jacuzzi, socializing, and maybe a Poly or Holiday type movie in between the daytime meeting and the party.