With or Without You

Bono was singing about writing a dissertation. A gloriously ambivalent love song to a dissertation.

I just cracked this sweet sweet chapter. Owned. I am writing myself a note to remember what allowed me to do it. (Gym says 98kgs, I says 18 hour days.) Pep talk in point form for future reference.

1) Take it easy. You have so much stuff. Too much. Remember that time when the woman said she would try to fit you into her schedule and her friend said, “I bet you’d fit in my schedule.” Don’t try to fit it all in. Be gentle.

2) Be simple. Don’t think too much about the huge amount of research you’ve done. You are not writing for me or someone like me who has read everything you have read. You are not writing odes to dead French men. You may not be writing philosophy. You are certainly not writing love poems. You are writing a demonstration.

3) Rhythm. An argument flows, it is not unveiled like a missing car in a magic trick, or delivered like a joke punchline Nike tick. You can dance, you got good rhythm. Watch. Dance.

4) Smarts. All sorts. Got it. Yummy. Shit is known like a biblical bad reputation. Relax, don’t do it, when you want to… create a plateau of intensity. So intense it is its own superstition.

5) This is not a Pete Townsend song. This is not kareoke. Sure, you built this diss on rock and roll, but just play the fucking game for once in your life, please. Be good to yourself, me.