Status Updates From Attention: A Love Story

Information and insights about David Foster Wallace, Aldous Huxley, William James and Simone Weil were interesting. But I’m still waiting for her to tie it all together and now we’re back on her life (this time meeting her husband). Yes, you do need to give someone your full attention to fall in love….

There were several strong chapters with more interesting exploration of the main topic and experts’ thoughts on it, but then we are pulled off on a tangent about her father’s #MeToo moment. It’s possible that the structure of the writing is purposefully supposed to mirror divided attention and information overwhelm, but for me it’s not working.

…and yet, parts of it are really good. Compelling. Perhaps best viewed as stand-alone essays rather than chapters? The connection between David Foster Wallace’s writing and attention is drawn really well and kept me totally interested.

Compelling subject and the honesty draws you in, but it’s like a memoir that’s trying to be research, employing personal experience way too universally. It also doesn’t follow through on what it sets out to do. Chapter 3 literally starts “But I do want to say a little more about Adderall,” but then proceeds to be about her experience with writing. It’s also just all over the place.