Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.



Episode Summary



This week on Writer’s Voice, we speak with David Bollier about the newly updated edition of his influential book Think Like a Commoner: A Short Introduction to the Life of the Commons. Bollier argues that commons are neither relics of the past nor utopian fantasies—they are living, adaptive systems that help people meet needs through cooperation rather than competition.




“A commons is a living collective social organism for getting stuff done.” — David Bollier




We discuss why the commons movement is growing worldwide, how it provides a survival strategy amid climate breakdown and political turmoil, and the practical ways communities are creating commons today—from urban housing and childcare networks to open-source software and local currencies. Bollier also shares how thinking like a commoner challenges deeply held assumptions about property, law, and power—and why storytelling and culture are key to this transformation.



Then we re-air a short clip from our March interview with Omar El Akkad, author of  One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. It’s an urgent and unflinching critique of the failures of mainstream liberalism — especially as seen from the genocide Israel is inflicting on Gaza.



Connect with WV:



Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast 



You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!



Key Words: David Bollier, Think Like a Commoner, commons movement, mutual aid networks, urban commons, degrowth, cooperative economies, Schumacher Center, cosmo-local production, community resilience, climate and commons, Gaza war and U.S. complicity, Gaza genocide, One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This



You Might Also Like: Full Interview with Omar El Akkad, more WV interviews with David Bollier










David Bollier



David Bollier explains what it means to “think like a commoner”—to see the world not as a set of commodities but as a living system of relationships and shared stewardship. He explores the roots of commons thinking, from indigenous traditions to digital communities, and shows how commoning is emerging as a global response to neoliberal capitalism, ecological collapse, and authoritarian politics.



We talk about successful commons in cities like Barcelona, the rise of bioregional economies,