The Politics of Lonely

Title: The Politics of Lonely
Author: Lee Arden
ISBN: 9781773638263
Publisher: Fernwood Publishing
Published: 2026
Binding: Paperback
Language: English
Number of Pages: 254
Condition Note: New from the publisher
Publisher Description:

Why is it hard to make and keep friends as an adult? Even if you finally find time to see each other, can you connect more deeply than just catching up over coffee? How many do you count as ride-or-die pals who'll always show up with effervescent banter and deep conversation -- your "chosen family?"

Widespread loneliness reflects a world of crappy jobs and unaffordable housing that makes it almost impossible to have close, interwoven friendships. A dwindling social safety net takes a toll on us and on our relationships. Particularly for queer people, friendships can be crucial relations of equality, constancy, and care. Still, we disappoint each other and fall into irreparable conflict.

A less lonely world is possible. Through interviews, research, and personal narrative, this book shows how people build tight connections despite living in the austere conditions of colonial capitalism -- boldly weaving a new social fabric as this one unravels.