What do we gain or what do we discern, what do we bring into focus when we view Gandhi's works through the lens of, of these, um, these utopia dwellers, these individuals, this, the setting? Feel free to, if you'd like, you can share the t- the, uh, the, the main arguments of the book, but no, wha- what comes into focus for us when we look at this?

Okay.

Yeah, I can say a little bit about what the book is just about and then what the main argument or arguments of the book are.

Um, so the, what was it like to live with Gandhi? This is really sort of the central question that the book is examining by focusing on everyday life at the four major communities that Gandhi established.

Uh, so he founded Phoenix Settlement and Tolstoy Farm in South Africa in the 21 years that he lived and worked there.

And then when he returned to India in 1915, he founded two additional major communities, uh, Sabarmati Ashram and Sevagram Ashram.

And these communities attracted a pretty diverse group of residents who came from multiple religious, racial, national backgrounds and who were drawn not only to Gandhi, but also to the collective effort to try to forge a community of equals that could challenge the inequalities of the colonialist, capitalist status quo of the day.

Do you wanna say a little bit about, you know, some of those figures or maybe someone or something that maybe stayed with you?

And can you say a little bit about maybe utopia studies in that sense?

Sure, yeah, thank you.

It's a great question.

And particularly in the framing of the book and in the conclusion, I really try to bring to bear the lens of the disciplines of religious studies and utopian studies to think through these sites, Gandhi's communities, as communal spaces.

I think bringing the disciplines of religious studies and utopian studies into conversation with Gandhian studies allows us to critically examine the evolution of Gandhi's philosophy of universal well-being.

As I've mentioned, Gandhi's often praised for his laudable commitment to nonviolence.

But I think this praise usually overlooks the sacrifice and the suffering that really was central to Gandhi's philosophy of sarvodaya, universal well-being, and to his method of nonviolent resistance.

Do you want to say a little bit about some of those figures or maybe someone or something that maybe stayed with you?

But, you know, what, what comes into focus for us when we look at this?

Okay.

Yeah, I can say a little bit about what the book is just about, and then what the main argument or arguments of the book are.

Um, so the, what was it like to live with Gandhi? This is really sort of the central question that the book is examining by focusing on everyday life at the four major communities that Gandhi established.

Uh, so he founded Phoenix Settlement and Tolstoy Farm in South Africa in the 21 years that he lived and worked there.

And then when he returned to India in 1915, he founded two additional major communities, uh, Sabarmati Ashram and Sevagram Ashram.

And these communities attracted a pretty diverse group of residents who came from multiple religious, racial, national backgrounds, and who were drawn not only to Gandhi, but also to the collective effort to try to forge a community of equals that could challenge the inequalities of the colonialist, capitalist status quo of the day.

Do you wanna say a little bit about, you know, some of those figures or maybe someone or something that maybe stayed with you?

And you say a little bit about maybe utopia studies in that sense?

Sure, yeah, thank you.

It's a great question.

And particularly in the framing of the book and in the conclusion, I really try to bring to bear the lens of the disciplines of religious studies and utopian studies to think through these sites, Gandhi's communities, as communal spaces.

I think bringing the disciplines of religious studies and utopian studies into conversation with Gandhian studies allows us to critically examine the evolution of Gandhi's philosophy of universal well-being.

As I've mentioned, Gandhi's often praised for his laudable commitment to nonviolence.

But I think this praise usually overlooks the sacrifice and the suffering that really was central to Gandhi's philosophy of sarvodaya, universal well-being, and to his method of nonviolent resistance.

Do you want to say a little bit about some of those figures or maybe someone or something that maybe stayed with you