Meghan O’Gieblyn Discusses New Memoir 'Will and Attention' and the Limits of Self-Knowledge

In an interview with John Palattella for The Point, essayist Meghan O’Gieblyn discusses her new memoir, Will and Attention, published by Doubleday. The book explores her return to drinking after over a decade of sobriety, her departure from evangelical Christianity, and her brief return to Catholicism. O’Gieblyn explains that she wrote the book to challenge traditional autobiography, which she calls 'bogus' and 'impossible,' because it imposes a false narrative arc on an ongoing life. She draws on Simone Weil’s distinction between will and attention, arguing that attention—a patient, waiting openness—is more effective than willpower for inner change. The title reflects this tension: will (from Old English wille) and attention (from Latin attendere) are placed in dialogue. O’Gieblyn also discusses the influence of William James, the Eastern Orthodox concept of nepsis (sobriety/watchfulness), and the cyclical nature of conversion narratives. She notes that her previous book, God, Human, Animal, Machine, addressed the illusion of selfhood in technology, while Will and Attention delves into the personal motives behind that inquiry. The interview touches on acedia, the role of grace, and a memorable scene of divers on the Ligurian coast that illustrates the beauty of human will and the possibility of composed wonder. O’Gieblyn’s other works include Interior States (2018) and God, Human, Animal, Machine (2021).