It's time for some Salon Dinners
/“…a table of diverse people who grow together in ways they cannot grow alone...to remember the beauty of being human. ”
What’s needed to host a Salon Dinner?
ian mcconnell introducing marlon hall, ecotones and salon dinners during fabric’s sandbox conversations in may
There were audible oohs and aahs when Ian introduced us to Marlon Hall and suggested we might try out some Salon Dinners together this summer (listen in here! The Sandbox | The Ecotone). As a community practicing curiosity, humility and humor for the long haul, it’s not surprising to hear that interest and willingness. We are set up for this!
So if this idea stirs something in you, go for it! Try asking these questions next: What are you already doing that could be affirmed and enriched by the vision of Salon Dinners? What feels important or exciting about this idea to you? Who do you know who might be interested too?
Talk about your own “whys” (read more below to help you get at that). Then choose these 3 things from there!
A topic you want to explore. (Here’s an example idea to mark Juneteenth: A Fabric Salon Dinner Idea - The Sinners Movie)
Some food and a comfortable space to eat and connect.
People! Maybe 6-12 from across varied ages and life stages, cultural and ethnic heritages and/or vocations.
Why Salon Dinners?
Maybe it’s a desire to prioritize connection, conversation and community; or a space to explore topics in more depth and nuance than you can normally. Perhaps you just enjoy sharing food, learning and meeting new people.
One community member describes the draw of a space dedicated to being humans-in-process together:
“There is so much pressure (both internally and externally) to be polished and to have polished, well-formed opinions about everything. And while it’s good to be informed... I am drawn to the idea of a forum where I could have the chance to learn and correct myself and not be misunderstood forever. ”
eco (“home”) + tone (“tension”)
Salon Dinners are “ecotones” created on purpose. Strangers and neighbors come “to remember the truth about who we are” as Ian said. Maybe that’s the “home” part. Even simple meals around the fire have always been places of human flourishing. Flourishing implies growth, learning and adaptation - and those don’t seem to happen without some tension. When it comes with a sense of being at home, tension can become generative, creative - deepening connections in a way nothing else can.
“The dinner table is the most ancient institution known to humanity. Before there was civil government there was the dinner table. That’s where we learned to be civil...The table, the meal…is where we learn how to learn. ”
If you look up salon dinners, you’ll see their history and resurgence in many forms and places around the country and world. Here’s a news story about Marlon Hall’s dinners in Tulsa, OK: Amnesia Salon Dinners Blend Food, Art, And Human Connection.
Cheers to the generous helpings of curiosity, humility, and good humor at all of our tables this summer!
“What I’m doing is inviting you to the most ancient place to bring your people together to remember the future.”
