Unpicks obsession in all its manifold forms across time and place.

Part of a series that pairs leading Australian thinkers and cultural figures with important themes in life, this essay contemplates obsession. Discussing topics such as love, Marcel Proust, soul mates in fiction, numerical palindromes, and bloodlines, among other fixations, this personal examination explores the fine line that divides enthusiasm from obsession and wonders if obsessions lead to a retreat from life.