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Some Like It Single: Singletude March 27, 2009

Welcome to the latest installment in our new series, Some Like It Single, where we profile (relatively) small, independent blogs dedicated to exploring what it means to be “single” in American culture and, we hope, around the world.

Today we’re looking at the thorough, thoughtful, and entertaining posts in Singletude: A Positive Blog for Singles, by Clever Elsie (and yes, she is!).

Her highly researched posts about living happy as a single person run the gamut from the philosophical (how to avoid compromising yourself in your relationship?) to the logistical (see this and this on homeowning), and she’s not afraid to tackle pop culture as well (she was kind of into He’s Just Not That Into You).  She favors lists and how-tos (here’s a good one about how to help a friend through a breakup), which make her posts easy to read and relate to your own life.

Here’s how she describes her blog:

Clever Elsie is a never-married female on the cusp of 30, plowing upstream with just one paddle in New York City.  She started Singletude to combat the treatment of singles as second-class citizens and to offer a resource for singles that encompassed more than just dating and relationship advice (though that is included, too).  Singletude is founded on the humanistic belief that all people are worthy of the same respect and opportunities, regardless of marital status.  It isn’t about denying that there are challenges in the single life but about meeting them head-on and focusing on the positives while recognizing that we shouldn’t glamorize marriage, which has its own problems.  Ultimately, it’s about understanding that a human life doesn’t need to be paired to have value. And that means when we do couple up, we need to treat each other as valuable individuals, not extensions of each other or disposable entertainment.  Most of all, Singletude encourages readers to embrace the philosophy that, whether single by choice or by circumstance, this single life is your life to live, so live it to the fullest!

Here’s what to look forward to in the future with Singletude:

In the coming months, Singletude will be expanding to its own domain (Singletude.com), where Elsie hopes to have message boards and other interactive features to foster communication among the singles community.  She believes that the single life should not be an isolated life and so is dedicated to providing a place where singles can share their joys and frustrations with each other.  Singletude.com will also provide the same how-tos, tips, news, reviews, research, and commentary as it always has but with more opportunities for others to participate.

Here’s how Elsie describes herself:

A freelance wordsmith by trade (she writes, edits, and proofreads), Elsie has also ventured into voice acting and is exploring her inner web entrepreneur at her CafePress.com shop, Gifts From the Sea.  Never content to limit herself to just one endeavor, she is also working steadily on two screenplays.  While Elsie’s struggle to make ends meet as a self-employed professional means that she doesn’t have as much time as she’d like to blog, she is thankful that her single status allows her the time and freedom to write undistracted which is, in her humble opinion, the best part about being single.

Copious Readers, have a good Singletude! And stay tuned for future installments of Some Like It Single!

Lisa and Christina