Austin Dean
asked
Michael Harris:
Hi Michael, Prior to writing Solitude, what pieces of literature/authors did you first lean on as sources inspiration? What books aided you in your research? Austin austin.s.dean@gmail.com
Michael Harris
Hi Austin, Thanks for the question. There were two main streams of literature I was dipping into for this book.
First stream: books about the nature of aloneness or solitude. Anthony Storr's book Solitude was certainly a great inspiration. Also, the work of Sara Maitland.
Second stream: books on media and our relationship with the internet. I try to read broadly about human interactions with technology. So: Marshall McLuhan, Neil Postman, Lewis Mumford, and Elizabeth Eisenstein are all fascinating, even though they were writing before online life rose to dominance. More contemporary authors that I've relied on include: Nicholas Carr, Sherry Turkle, James Gleick, Clive Thompson, Tim Wu, and Daniel Levitin.
All that said: if you're looking for another book to read about solitude, I would absolutely point you toward Storr's book. It's a gem.
Hope that helps!
And all best,
Michael
First stream: books about the nature of aloneness or solitude. Anthony Storr's book Solitude was certainly a great inspiration. Also, the work of Sara Maitland.
Second stream: books on media and our relationship with the internet. I try to read broadly about human interactions with technology. So: Marshall McLuhan, Neil Postman, Lewis Mumford, and Elizabeth Eisenstein are all fascinating, even though they were writing before online life rose to dominance. More contemporary authors that I've relied on include: Nicholas Carr, Sherry Turkle, James Gleick, Clive Thompson, Tim Wu, and Daniel Levitin.
All that said: if you're looking for another book to read about solitude, I would absolutely point you toward Storr's book. It's a gem.
Hope that helps!
And all best,
Michael
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Nov 10, 2017 04:14PM · flag