In the inspiring field guide to dropping out of the attention economy, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, artist and The New York Times–bestselling author Jenny Odell extolled the value of rest as resistance in a culture that always expects us to be productive. In conversation with Jess Scully she takes the discussion further and introduces her new book Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock which makes a radical argument about our concept of time and offers a hopeful antidote for anyone grappling with burnout and anxiety about the future.
Supported by ARA.
Jenny Odell (International)
Jenny Odell is the author of How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy and Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock. She is also an interdisciplinary artist and has been in residence at the San Francisco Planning Department, Recology SF (otherwise known as the dump), and the Internet Archive. Odell taught digital art at Stanford University from 2013 to 2021. An enthusiast of birding, geology, and local history, she is based in Oakland, California.
Jess Scully (Australian)
Jess Scully is an author, curator and city-maker who uses creativity to inspire people to participate in shaping a sustainable and inclusive future. As Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney from 2019 to 2022, and as a Councillor at the City of Sydney since 2016, Jess advocates for new models to address the housing crisis and support a more inclusive economy, to embed culture in everyday life and revive Sydney's nightlife, and to expand who plays a role in shaping the life of the city. Previously, Jess founded Vivid Ideas, Australia’s largest creative industries event; supported emerging talent through the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards; transformed public space as an urbanism consultant and public art curator, and served as a policy advisor to the NSW Minister for the Arts. She is currently a World Bank consultant contributing to sustainable urban development in Indonesia. Her first book, Glimpses of Utopia: Real Ideas for a Fairer World, is published by Pantera Press.
