The Powerful Act of Listening
Dear Metapsychonauts,
This week at Metapsychosis we invite you to listen. In our age of noise, with a chorus of advertisements, sound bites, and political hot takes shouting for our attention, thoughtful listening is an act that becomes more important–and more powerful—than ever.
First, you can join Stephen Provizer in conversation with Tracy Fessenden, author of Religion Around Billie Holiday. Listeners of the iconic jazz singer will be interested in digging into one of the more subtle influences that pervaded her work, the Catholicism she absorbed at the reform school she attended as a girl.
Then immerse yourself in overlapping voices, human and nonhuman, of Claire Lacey’s poem “Ensemble: Foulden Maar,” as read aloud by the poet and Dane Oates. A response to the environmental—and possibly spiritual—costs of mining diatomaceous earth, which is a component of many industrial processes, this is a poem that will literally root you in the depths of soil and memory.
And finally, check out the graphic novel The Jellyfish, by author and artist Boum (reviewed by the writer of this newsletter!), whose luminous art will take you into the point of view of a young woman in Montreal facing the terrifying unknown of vision loss.
Through the noise and clamour, Metapsychosis continues to bring discerning readers—and listeners—new perspectives and voices week after week. If you like what we do, please consider one of the many ways to support us, whether monetary or non-monetary. Leaving a comment on a piece that especially moved you is easy to do, and makes a writer’s day brighter. And if you’re able, consider becoming a member so that we can work toward our goal of providing fair compensation to our contributors.
Thank you, as ever, for your attentive reading,
Mary Thaler
Associate Editor, Metapsychosis journal
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