I just finished reading an article by N. Katherine Hayles called “Hyper and Deep Attention: The Generational Divide in Cognitive Modes.” I tried to upload it as a PDF, but it’s not working… so you should run to your library and read it in the 2007 issue of Profession. It’s a pretty short, well-written piece that deserves some attention. Hayles characterizes deep attention as“concentrating on a single object for long periods (say, a novel by Dickens), ignoring outside stimuli while so engaged, preferring a single information stream, and having a high tolerance for long focus times.” Hyper attention, then, is characterized by “switching focus rapidly among different tasks, preferring multiple information streams, seeking a high level of stimulation, and having a low tolerance for boredom.” So, Hayles is concerned with how the pedagogical framework currently used in classrooms and assignments (specifically in literature classes) sets students up for failure (or at least struggle) because the current generation (and upcoming generations) have brains literally wired differently than generations before (as in, brains wired for hyper attention, rather than deep attention). Anyway, I think it’s well worth reading. I’ve always been a multi-tasker, or “hyper-attentive” as Hayles would call me, (it’s just a bit ironic that I began reading this article while baking a carrot cake, and interrupted reading the article by shooting off some e-mails I’d forgotten to send), but this piece really made me consider that “trait” on a different level.
Some recent news about myself: Bennington College is launching an annual anthology of best writing by undergraduate students, and chose my short story “Scars” as one of their fiction pieces. What’s exciting is that, apparently, they considered undergraduate journals from Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Chicago, Carnegie-Mellon, Rice, Stanford, etc. I’m not sure how many or few pieces they’re including, but it made me happy (especially considering my recent frustrations with writing) nonetheless.
Partly because of those recent frustrations with my writing in general, and with some aspects of the program here, I’ve decided to devote most of my free time to sewing, baking, and working at the humane society. Really, sometimes I think I’d be much happier if I only did those three things. Some recent upcoming holiday-inspired developments in my Etsy shop:
Custom name pet paw print stockings:
Ornaments:
You can check out the full list/inventory at my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7721864
Oh my goodnessssss! Congrats on getting Scars published! I’m so happy for you :) That’s the first ever Sarah Turcotte story I read before we were even friends and I was blown away by your talent, so I’m super excited for this. I must get my hands on a copy of that journal when it comes out! Also, that article sounds very interesting and it makes me miss our intellectual class discussions (I use the word “intellectual” kind of loosely here haha). I miss Dr. Bowers quite a bit, actually. Anyhoo, LOVE the ornaments, LOVE knowing about your life, LOVE you.