For over two decades, essayist and social critic Sven Birkerts has cast his unique eye on the way digital technology is altering the formation of social spheres, self-identity, and meaning. His latest book, Changing the Subject: Art and Attention in the Internet Age, is a personal and poetic examination of these themes that acts as a welcome balance to data-driven analyses. He speaks with publisher Mo Lotman about the book and his long interest in the subject.