Sandra Huber
I am a writer, scholar, educator, and multidisciplinary artist. I hold a PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities and currently teach at Concordia University. In my research, I focus on occulted or hidden knowledges, like magic, witchcraft, and sleep. I wrote Assembling the Morrow: A Poetics of Sleep (Talonbooks, 2014), based on a collaboration with biologists, neuroscientists, and sleep technicians in Lausanne, Switzerland. I currently live, work, and sleep in Tio’tia’ke / Montreal.
In a few words, explain what drew you to this project.
The fact that sleep is social is not something that is commonly acknowledged or looked into. How can we separate sleep from individualism and privacy? How does that make us feel and what new grounds does that open up? This project is led by feminist researchers and that shows in the diverse voices they bring together and the quality and experimentation of the work they foster.
Q & A
Why do you find sleep a compelling site for research?
Sleep is generative rather than productive. Sleep is hidden and obscure — it stands apart from the waking world and teaches us about other ways of knowing and being that may not be apparent. That is so important.
Are you an early bird or night owl?
I’m an early bird on a good day. I love the quiet alertness of the dawn.
Do you enjoy taking naps? Why / why not?
Yes! I advocate for more napping in our world in general.
Do you keep a dream journal? Any tips for someone who would like to start one?
I have kept a dream journal for about 20 years.
My advice is to record your dreams right when you wake up; don’t wait or you’ll lose them. Record things that also seem trivial or embarrassing or implicating, you may realize later that these are the things that form your most meaningful connections and insights.
Dreams can be shy, but the more you coax them out, the more they will tell you, and soon you will have a record of the ripe underside of your waking thoughts.