Living Single Resources PDF Print E-mail

This page includes books and links on the following topics:

Research About Singles and Singlism

Advice and How-to Books

Online Communities for Singles

Single Bloggers
Committed Friendship
Asexuality

 

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Research About Singles and Singlism

Single Workers

A valuable compilation of statistics, expert commentary and recommended reading on the topic of being single in the workplace. 

*Singles Studies

This website has a large bibliography of research and writings on people who are single.  It also includes demographic information, teaching resources and links to other resources. 

*American Association for Single People
An information service full of statistics, media articles and original commentatry.

*Singled Out: How Singles are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After, by  Bella DePaulo  (2006) 

*The New Single Woman by E. Kay Trimberger (2006)

Urban Tribes: Are Friends the New Family? by Ethan Watters (2004)

QuirkyAlone by Sasha Cagen (2004)

*Here Comes the Bride: Anatomy of the Contemporary Wedding, by Jaclyn Geller  (2001).  A scathing critique of the institution by a feminist who argues that it's not OK to get married. Geller focuses particular attention on how marriage proposals, engagement announcements, wedding invitations, brides, wedding dresses, and weddings themselves are represented in popular culture.

*Cutting Loose: Why Women Who End Their Marriages Do So Well by Ashton Applewhite  (1998). Contrary to the image of the financially-strapped, emotionally-exhausted divorcee, this book tells the stories of women who thrived after leaving unhappy relationships and offers encouragement and advice on surviving divorce. 

Improvised Woman: Single Women Reinventing Single Life by Marcelle Clements (1999).  Clements explores the category of "single women" as a new social phenomenon, including women who have chosen not to marry, serial cohabitees who happen to be between relationships, women who take lovers but prefer to live alone, mothers bringing up children on their own, divorcees, and widows.

Women Living Single: 30 Women Share Their Stories of Navigating Through a Married World by Lee Reilly (1996)

White Blackbirds is a 'zine that asks women why they've decided not to get married. The name is based on the old Irish expression, "There will be white blackbirds before an unwilling woman ties the knot." 

Friends with Benefits? This very readable law review article is valuable not only because it recommends "explicitly placing friendship within the law," but also because the footnotes provide an excellent recommended reading list of authors contemplating alternatives to marriage.

Flying Solo: Single Women in Midlife by Carol M. Anderson and Susan Stewart (1995).

The Age of the Bachelor: Creating an American Subculture by Howard P. Chudacoff (1999).

Single Woman of a Certain Age: 29 Women Writers on the Unmarried Midlife - Romantic Escapades, Heavy Petting, Empty Nests, Shifting Shapes and Serene Independence Jane Ganahl (Editor) (2005)

Living Solo by Adrienne Salinger (1998)

Single In A Married World: A LIFE CYCLE FRAMEWORK FOR WORKING WITH THE UNMARRIED ADULT by Natalie Schwartzberg, Kathy Berliner, and Demaris Jacob (1995)

Never Married Women by Barbara Levy Simon (1987)

 

Advice & How-to Books 

*With or Without a Man: Taking Control of Your Life as a Single Woman, by Karen Gail Lewis  (2001)  Most self-help books for single people fall into two categories: those that tell you how to find a mate, and those that tell you how to happy without one. What sets With or Without a Man apart from the pack is that it recognizes the need to do both, to "grapple with the full complexities of being single -- the pros AND the cons." 

The Complete Single Mother by Andrea Engber and Leah Klungness (2006)

The Single Mother's Survival Guide by Patrice Karst (2000)

Even God Is Single (So Stop Giving Me a Hard Time) by Karen Salmansohn (2000)

Being Single in a Couple's World: How to Be Happily Single While Looking for Love by Xavier Amador and Judith Kiersky (1999)

Adventures in Singlehood by Susie Shellenberger and Michael Ross (1996)

Joyfully Single in a Couples' World: Knowing Contentment, Peace, and Fulfillment -- Now by Harold J. Sala (1998)

 

 

Organizations and Online Communities for Singles

 

*Footloose Femails

A place for single women to connect with each other and talk about issues they face.

*Insanity House
Insanity House's mission is to unite the voice of single parent families in the United States, and through a unified voice and an empowered community effectively challenge current legislation and change political policy.

*SiNGLE EDITION
Single Edition is the “pièce de passion” of two partners - a designer and an business marketing consultant - who found themselves within the growing population of singles just loving their independence. Like all the other singles out there, the Single Edition founders had hard times finding relevant and updated information and resources to support their lifestyle and hence Single Edition was born.

*Single Minded Women

SMW is a website that publishes various articles about money management, careers, health, relationships, single parenthood, and travel ideas by and for single women.

*Single Mothers By Choice
Single Mothers By Choice (SMC) is "devoted to providing information and support to single mothers as well as those contemplating or trying to achieve single motherhood."

*Single Working Women’s Affiliate Network
Seeks to enhance the quality of of all single working women, including single mothers, with a focus on discounts on products and services. Loftier goals include education, fair compensation, a voice in the workplace, and appropriate standing in the global community.

*Quirkyalone
An online community for "Quirkyalones" defined as "romantics who resist the tyranny of coupledom."

Singular City

For single men and women who enjoy the freedom of their independent lifestyle, to share insights, interests and experiences. Not a matchmaking site, but rather a fascinating tribe of “singulars” who connect both on and offline (mostly around Los Angeles). 


Blogging about Singlehood & Singlism

*Bella DePaulo's blogs at Huffington Post and Psychology Today

In fact, Dr. DePaulo posts a fantastic list of blogs and websites each QuirkyAlone Day.

We're also especially fond of...

*E. Kay Trimberger's blog posts

*Rachel Buddeberg's blog 

*Onely "reverses popular conceptions of what it means to be single." 

Singletude "a positive blog for singles"

*Susan Deitz's syndicated Single File advice column

 

 

Friendship

CelebrateFriendship.org
A much-needed site on the history and politics of friendship. CelebrateFriendship recognizes that non-sexual friendships can be as serious, long-term, and significant as sexual relationships. Great articles, book list, and link collection. Has an online group and soon, in-person ones, too.

The Friendship Page
A collection of friendship advice, messageboards, quotes, songs and movies.

Open Directory: Friendship Links
Dozens of links on all aspects of friendship, from history to chat to support.

Queer Friendship
Books and articles about non-sexual friendships among LGBT people.
Friends with Benefits? This very readable law review article is valuable not only because it recommends "explicitly placing friendship within the law," but also because the footnotes provide an excellent recommended reading list of authors contemplating alternatives to marriage.


Asexuality

Asexuality Visibility and Education Network
An amazing source of information and community for the growing movement of people who don't experience sexual attraction.

 

Do you have living single books, links, or other resources you'd recommend? Let us know so we can add them to this collection!

 

* AtMP especially thanks these authors and organizations for their partnership and support.