The nostalgia weekend is our way of saying "thank you" once we (hopefully) hit our goal on Kickstarter! Help us to raise the needed support so that we can put the finishing touches on our beautiful farmhouse and barn in Wassaic, NY and open our doors to the Olio community, full time. We're making this into a true home for accessible learning and living and can't wait to celebrate with you at our inaugural OlioHouse Homecoming Dance. To get a ticket (+ the first ever Olio swag), see our Kickstarter and check out the full schedule for Homecoming below.

The Perils of Nostalgia

with Jamie Warren

In the opening pages of his novel, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera ruminates upon a rather discomforting experience of nostalgia. The object of his nostalgic longing was entirely unoffending and ordinary; Kundera simply yearned for his childhood. Yet, the catalyst for this sentimental pining is quite striking, even jarring, in his retelling. What made Kundera long for a lost period of his life? Pictures of Hitler. The author grew up during the war, and lost several family members in the concentration camps. But still, as he gazed upon the portraits of human evil, he found himself engulfed in the sweet melancholy of nostalgia. Such yearnings, Kundera warns us, are far from benign. “In the sunset of dissolution,” he writes, “everything is illuminated by the aura of nostalgia, even the guillotine.”

In this Olio we will lay our nostalgia bare, and try to reckon with this powerful, political emotion. From “Lost Cause” white supremacy to “Making America Great Again,” to 1950s themed baby showers, it is clear that nostalgia functions as false historical memory. We will interrogate our own sentimental yearnings, pick apart our favorite musical montages, and expose the hidden violence masked by our Bob Ross paintings.

Plan for Homecoming on Saturday, November 17th

12:00pm - Arrive at OlioHouse to a communal lunch

Receive your Totes

Tour of OlioHouse

The Perils of Nostalgia w/Jamie Warren in the Barn

Pre-Game + 90’s Karaoke

Explore Wassaic and make our way to the party

6:00pm - Home Coming Dance at the Lantern Inn

The last train back to the city is at 10:15 and it's a 10-minute walk from the Lantern.