by Linda Eve Diamond

“The Beauty of Listening” explores and honors the ever-challenging art and skill of listening. Inside these pages, you’ll meet paper dolls and monsters, writers at work and words at play, and you’ll find many open questions of perspective. While each poem tells its own story, the collection also tells a larger listening story. From thoughts on where listening begins to the evolution of words and communication styles, the story leads into the deep need for listening time, both inner and interpersonal. Inner listening is explored from intuition to where inner and interpersonal listening entwine, making self-awareness essential for truly listening to others. The final section, Last Words, includes an uplifting poem for paper dolls, the thoroughly unhindered perspective of a ghost, and a vision of the last printed page. “The Beauty of Listening” is a journey filled with moments of awareness, meaningful connections, humor, folly, and the gentle reminder that listening is not as simple as it seems.