Hermits around the web – Hermitary
news, sites, and pages of interest about hermits and solitude
MONK, a magazine that explores “the relationship or link between spirituaity and creativity” includes in its October 2022 issue an extensive, intensive, and fruitful interview with British writer and hermit Sara Maitland, which primarily explores solitude in Christianity, but also in psychology, in women, and in old age.
URL: https://monk.gallery/interviews/sara-maitland-into-the-wilderness/
Aeon presents an essay on women hermits, by Rhian Sasseen, titled “She wants to be alone.” Byline: “When even a simple stroll down the sidewalk is an exercise in self-loathing, why don’t more women run away into the woods?” Working subtitle: “Is becoming a hermit the ultimate feminist statement?”
This essay is ten years old but continues to be a succinct expression of the dilemma of women seeking solitude. Mentions a wide range of representative hermits, from Thoreau to Mary of Egypt, from Anne LeBastille to Ji Xian, from Christopher Knight (the Maine woods hermit) to Christopher McCandless (the Alaska bus hermit).
From the essay: “For those of us who want to be alone, who still crave it [solitude] even after all the abuse and skepticism, there are few guides and even fewer celebrations of female solitude. Who is the female hermit? Does she exist? Who is the woman who can look out at the world and in all seriousness say: ‘I want to be alone’?”
URL: https://aeon.co/essays/is-becoming-a-hermit-the-ultimate-feminist-statement
Hermette Magaine is a web-based site edited by Risa Mickenberg. Hermette intends to express a femme-centric view of life as an urban hermit or solitaire. Check the description of the website: “The underground newspaper for aspiring they/hermits. The premier anti-social network. Published from an undisclosed location.” The magazine is a quirky, humorous, and refreshingly opinionated site providing a gentle take on urban hermit life.
The Collector, website for history and humanities, offers an essay by Thomas Amey titled “The Beguines: The Hermits Who Became Medieval Celebrities.” The essay focuses on three prominent women: Marie D’Oignies, Yvette de Huy, and Christina Mirabilis, with a summary of the Church’s response and the Beguine legacy.
URL: https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/benguines-hermits-medieval-celebrity
The Guardian presents an article on Jo Nemeth, who lives in Australia — and lives moneyless. Nemeth was partly inspired by Mark Boyle (whose book, The Moneyless Man, is reviewed by Hermitary). Byline: “Ten years ago, Jo Nemeth quit her job and closed her bank account. Today, she’s more committed than ever to her moneyless life.” Nemeth says: “I feel more secure than when I was earning.”
URL: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/feb/01/meet-the-woman-who-lives-without-money-i-feel-more-secure-than-when-i-was-earning
Jo Nemeth’s blog: https://jolowimpact.wordpress.com/
Hermitary review ofBoyle book: https://www.hermitary.com/bookreviews/boyle.html