Desire & duty at Oneida : Tirzah Miller's intimate memoir /

Fogarty, noted scholar of American utopianism, has edited a gem in the annals of religious communalism, the unpublished journal of Tirzah Miller (1843-1902). Miller was a member of the durable, albeit highly controversial, "Bible Communism" colonies at Wallingford, Connecticut, and Oneida, New York, founded by the charismatic and prophetic John Humphrey Noyes. Writing in the years between 1867 and 1880, Miller reveals her thoughts and activities about such matters as "complex marriages," what outsiders considered to be "free love," and "stirpiculture," an experiment in eugenics. A gifted writer, Miller shows the trauma involved with both complex marriages and stirpiculture. She seems extremely troubled about her relationship with Edward Inslee, who fathered one of her three children and left the community not long after the birth of their son. Miller's insightful comments are nicely complemented by Fogarty's lengthy introduction, in which he carefully explains the value of this document in the context of the Oneida Community and American utopianism. And Fogarty offers valuable commentary about various journal entries. Desire and Duty at Oneida is further enhanced by captivating illustrations and a useful index. All levels. H. R. Grant; Clemson University