Date of Completion
Spring 5-1-2024
Thesis Advisor(s)
Sean Forbes
Honors Major
English
Disciplines
Creative Writing | English Language and Literature | Poetry
Abstract
"I Wrote This Instead of Being Productive" is a poetry chapbook focused on the mythos of productivity in our modern era, from the perspective of a college student. What does productivity mean at the end of an empire? In recent years, culture has become obsessed with new forms of productivity and time management. We optimize our schedules, compete against each other, and attempt to dissociate from the harsher realities of our lives. An omnipresent internet culture motivates us to generate more value from our time, even if it feels hollow. ‘Scientific’ explanations point towards dopamine deficits and cultural narratives emphasize the tenets of rugged individualism. These explanations —along with a plethora of other social narratives— persuade people not to get mad at broader structural issues, but instead push themselves to beat out everyone else.
This chapbook hopes to deconstruct those narratives by giving attention to the moments of our everyday lives. It explores themes of resistance, observation, collectivism, disciplinary power, sustainability, and more through the settings of a college student's life. This collection of poems demonstrates the cyclical philosophical and emotional struggles that emerge from living on the threshold between academic and personal satisfaction.
Recommended Citation
Hill, Timothy, "I Wrote This Instead of Being Productive" (2024). Honors Scholar Theses. 1054.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/1054