Synopses & Reviews
Featured in
USA Today, Time,and on CNN and MSNBC,
Quirkyaloneis an incisive, savvy, hilarious singles manifesto. A much-needed antidote to books in the tradition of
The Rules, Quirkyalonehas sparked a movement for men and women of all ages who enjoy being single and don't date just for the sake of dating. Equal parts advice, cultural criticism, and pitch-perfect pop-culture references,
Quirkyalonecomes to grips with some of the hardest everyday choices people have to make: Loneliness or solitude? Friendship or romantic love? Here you'll find essays, quizzes, lists (movies, songs, books), not your average relationship-book wisdom, and words from other quirkyalones. Sasha Cagen coined the term "quirkyalone" in 2000 in an article in
Utne. The quirkyalone movement spread through digital word of mouth and blossomed into its own holiday on February 14. Since then, International Quirkyalone Day was celebrated in twenty-four cities, including New Delhi, Sydney, and Vancouver. Cagen's guide is the anti-relationship relationship book for the hip, smart singleton.
quirkyalonen:a person who enjoys being single (but is not opposed to being in a relationship) and generally prefers to be alone rather than date for the sake of being in a couple; someone with unique traits and an optimistic spirit; a sensibility that transcends relationship status
adj:of, relating to, or embodying quirkyalones
see also:romantic, wistful, idealistic, independent
Review
“Cagens up to something that could be as important for women (and men) as The Feminine Mystique was years ago...” --Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Review
“Fun, inspirational and provocative, this book is the perfect antidote to the Valentines-inspired coupling.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“Cagen has put her finger on [societys] pulse…a positive spin on flying solo.” Toronto Globe & Mail
Review
“Cagen is not against setups or dating…She is emphatically not against sex. Rather, she is ‘anti dull relationship.” --New York Times Sunday Styles, 11/29/03
Review
“We need to give credence to the nonsexual relationships...the idea of having significant others instead of a significant other.” --Sasha Cagen, from US News & World Report, 10/6/03
Synopsis
quirkyalone (kwur.kee.uh.lohn) n. adj.
A person who enjoys being single (but is not opposed to being in a relationship) and generally prefers to be alone rather than date for the sake of being in a couple. With unique traits and an optimistic spirit; a sensibility that transcends relationship status. Also adj. Of, relating to, or embodying quirkyalones. See also: romantic, idealist, independent.
Are you a quirkyalone? Do you know someone who is?
Do you believe life can be prosperous and great with or without a mate?
Do you value your friendships as much as your romantic relationships?
Do gut instincts guide your most important decisions?
Are you often among the first on the dance floor?
Coupled or single, man or woman, social butterfly or shrinking violet, quirkyalones have walked among us, invisible until now. Through the coining of a new word, this tribe has been given a voice.
Meet the quirkyalones.
Read about:
The quirkyalone nation: where we live, what we do
Quirkytogethers (quirkyalones who have entered long–term relationships)
Sex and the single quirkyalone
Romantic obsession: the dark side of the quirkyalone's romantic personality
Quirkyalones throughout history (profiles in courage)
About the Author
Sasha Cagen's essays have appeared in the Village Voice and Utne. She is the founding editor of To-Do List, a magazine that uses the idea of a to-do list to explore the details of daily life. To-Do List was named the Reader's Choice for Best New Magazine of 2000 in the Utne Alternative Press awards. A native of Rhode Island, Sasha Cagen lives in San Francisco.