Will and Attention

In "Will and Attention," award-winning essayist Meghan O’Gieblyn explores her journey of secret drinking, fragile recovery, and the allure of religion, seeking to understand the challenges of personal change. After leaving evangelical Christianity and achieving sobriety, she grapples with a subsequent return to alcohol and her attempts to reconnect with faith through Catholicism. As she reflects on her life and engages with spiritual texts, O’Gieblyn navigates the complexities of her identity, relationships, and the human condition, ultimately seeking a spirituality that embraces both beauty and darkness. This memoir is a profound examination of recovery, self-determination, and the intricate interplay of will and attention.