“When Home Is a Campus Parking Lot”
NYT 4/10/13
On April 10, 2013 The New York Times printed an article on a grad student who, in order to avoid racking up debt, decided to live out of his van while attending grad school. Ken Ilgunas made it through Duke’s Liberal Studies Program and has now written a book, Walden On Wheels, about his experience.
I love Ken’s story and am so happy he will be sharing more in his book. His perspective is important and refreshing, especially since life sometimes feels dominated by consumerism and chasing the almighty dollar.
I am currently doing a research project interviewing people who have decided to engage in simple living. Many of the topics that Ken writes about also come up in my interviews. The focus on people rather than things. The necessity and importance of community. The realization that, as Ken put it, “If you put a man in a country club, he’ll feel the need for a yacht.”
I am very excited to read more about Ken’s experiences and am so happy to see NYT and its readers embracing these narratives.
Comments by Laurie