Encounterism: The Neglected Joys of Being In Person

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A great mix of social commentary, experience of the self and some thoughtful insights into our ancestral past. Receiving no public funding, the RA depends on the continuing generosity of our supporters and Friends. The light touch of a hairdresser's hands on one's scalp, the euphoric energy of a nightclub, huddling with strangers under a shelter in the rain, a spontaneous snowball fight in the street, a daily interaction with a homeless man--such mundane connections, when we closely inhabit the same space, and touch or are touched by others, were nearly lost to "social distancing.

After that I moved out from my childhood home where I grew up with 4 generations/8-6 people to now live in apartment with my husband and cat in a neighborhood where we don't know anyone. Ending the book, he lists some fun and hilarious ways to pay the book forward to a stranger, to ensure our own encounter, and asks that it be done with care. The authors little stories are good reminders about the joys of being in person for a time when we're all often focused on the potential awkwardness, tense situations, or even danger. A portrait that is so joyous and insightful that I couldn't help but see my own everyday interactions in a whole new light. As human-beings with over 14 unique senses, just remember that Zoom/Teams only caters to two of those senses.

It is therefore no surprise that the author, Andy Field, is performance artist that specialises in human interaction. Field’s book takes you on a journey through his own everyday ‘encounters’ which have shaped his life. Haughty nightclubs, community parks, backs of car seats and movie theaters give us physical space to relate differently, and be different. Given Feld's theater background and openness to experience, I enjoyed imagining these experiences if they were crafted into scenes of improv and fringe theater. What understanding of the world, and of each other, are we depriving ourselves of as we spend less and less time in proximity to all these strangers and their lives that are so very different from our own?

A playful, analytical, informed, and poetic exploration of the delight and transformative power of real-life encounters.The book was written while the pandemic was going and seem to be finished right around when restrictions were being lifted.