Essays and Conversations on Community & Belonging
Essays on belonging, and how communities are built, kept and broken.
I write two publications, Leather & Lavender reads the history of the leather subculture through political economy. Social Signal looks at communication platforms and what they do to the people inside them.
Touching Grass and Writing Essays- Washington, DC
Substack - Essays, Notes, and Responses
Leather & Lavender
Social Signal
Substack - Numbered Essay Series
The history of the gay leather subculture and it's institutions read through the lens of thinkers such as Hayek, Ostrom, Boettke, and Hirschman. How guests become owners, and what a community owes to the people who keep it.
Platform dynamics, information theory and belonging. Why feeds flatten intimacy, how context collapses, and what it takes to stay connected anyway.
From the blog
Work in Progress
The Antithesis Project
The Antithesis Project, launched in early 2026, was designed to test how media consumption shapes perception of the world around me—and to finally break a six-year habit of listening almost exclusively to a single artist. This project serves as a reminder that the soundtrack of our lives shouldn't be a fixed prison of rumination, but a fluid art form that carries us through the changing landscape of our emotions. Each monthly playlist captures the unique pulse and atmosphere of that time.
Your pets, your home, cared for.
Also Available - Pet and House Sitting
I care for pets and homes from Downtown Silver Spring, traveling by Metro and bus. Please reach out for a full quote today.
Service Zones
Drop-in visits
Overnight house sitting
House checks
Feeding, fresh water, litter or a walk, and a photo update after each visit.
I stay at your place so your pets keep their routine and the house stays lived in.
Mail, plants, lights and a walk-through while you are away. No pets required.
Starting at $25* per visit
Starting at $55* per night
Starting at $20* per visit
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
Zone 5
Downtown Silver Spring core and Fenton Village
Drop-in: Included
Overnight: Included
Takoma, Forest Glen, Shepherd Park
Overnight: $5
Drop-in: $5
Petworth, Columbia Heights, Bethesda, Wheaton
Drop-in: $10
Overnight: $10
Downtown DC, Union Station, Navy Yard, Rockville
Drop-in: $15
Overnight: $15
Arlington, Alexandria, Potomac
Drop-in: $25 + Cost of Rideshare
Overnight: Cost of Rideshare once
Rates for
General Clients
Standard competitive rates for everyone.
Friends & Colleagues
Discounts for people I know and anyone who works in the liberty movement or for WMATA.
Senior Assistance
Only available in Zone 1 for now. Steep discounts for seniors - no holiday, travel or rush fees ever asked.
or email alex@alxpilk.me
with your dates, pets and address.
About
I'm a writer based out of Washington, DC. I write about community from the inside - both the physical and digital spaces.
My writings draw on classical liberal economics and history, and on my own life in these communities. I also love to provide pet sitting care in the DC metro region.
