Listen (PDF)
Listen (PDF)
Listen, by Ute Carson, is now available as a PDF and paperback (as well as wholesale and through most distribution channels)! This collection of poems spans the life cycle: birth, parenting (and grandparenting), aging, and dying.
Images of nature and our connections to it abound throughout because nature is our habitat. The cover further invokes this symbiotic relationship. The poems within Listen run a full gamut of human emotions—wonder, doubt, pleasure, regret, love, loss, enchantment, and more, all woven into the fabric of lived experience and of experience imagined. The title, Listen, invites readers to be reflective and leaves room for individual interpretations.
Ute Carson, a German-born writer from youth and an MA graduate in comparative literature from the University of Rochester, published her first prose piece in 1977. Colt Tailing, a 2004 novel, was a finalist for the Peter Taylor Book Award. Ute’s story “The Fall” won Outrider Press’ Grand Prize and appeared in its short story and poetry anthology, A Walk through My Garden, in 2007. Her second novel In Transit was published in 2008. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals and magazines in the U.S. and abroad. Ute’s poetry was televised on the Spoken Word Showcase 2009–2011, Channel Austin. A poetry collection Just a Few Feathers was published in 2011. The poem “A Tangled Nest of Moments” placed second in the Eleventh International Poetry Competition 2012. Her chapbook, Folding Washing, was published in 2013 and her collection of poems, My Gift to Life, was nominated for the 2015 Pushcart Prize. Save the Last Kiss, a novella, was published in 2016. Her poetry collection, Reflections, came out in 2018. She received the Ovidiu-Bektore Literary Award 2018 from the Anticus Multicultural Association in Constanta, Romania. In 2018, she was nominated a second time for the Pushcart Prize by the PlainView Press. Gypsy Spirit was published in 2020 as was her essay, “Even A Gloved Touch.”
Ute Carson resides in Austin, Texas with her husband. They have three daughters, six grandchildren, a horse, and a clowder of cats. Find her at utecarson.com.
To learn more about Ute, check out our recent interview with her.
Cover and interior artwork by Alexa Laharty.
Thank you for supporting independent publishing.
Editorial Reviews:
“One of my gauges for enjoying a poetry book depends on my full engagement with all the selections, not just some pieces but all. There are plenty of good or great poets that sprinkle their volumes with a few shining verses, but in Ute Carson's new poetry book, Listen, the enchantment sings throughout.”
--Kim Hazelwood, Amazon reviewer
“As promised by the striking cover of Listen, Ute Carson’s latest collection is a poetic embrace of life cycles. Widely published over the years, the author blends new and previous gems in an impeccable arrangement. By the first two powerful entries, the reader, too, responds to Carson’s touch—her nudge toward compassion in “Waiting for…” and self-reflection in “Then and Now.” That these two pieces were first published quite recently speaks to Ute Carson’s unflagging inspiration and productivity. Once you begin a book of hers, you cannot put it down. Later in Listen, “The Quotidian” has lines I want to read again and again, “…I glimpse an ordinary stone/glowing in the moon’s watchful beams.” Another wonderful poem, proof that there is nothing ordinary about Ute Carson.”
--Judith Austin Mills, Amazon reviewer
“I loved reading and reading these poems! In Listen, Ute weaves a poignant narrative of what it means to be engaged with the world by drawing on her childhood influences, educational background, and experiences as a friend, lover, and grandparent. I enjoyed Carson's poetry because her desire for her readers to pause and engage with her words is evident within the lines such as when she writes: "How do we venture into the lives of others/and still remain true to ourselves." Furthermore, Carson's poems convey to her readers her enchantment with the world around us during every stage of our existence. I also loved her nature imagery such as in the poem "Bleeding Trees" when she writes: "The wind of mortality/sweeps through the woods/stripping away leaves/and downing limbs/Sap turns to bleeding tears." I highly recommend this beautiful book of poetry as Carson is able to relate seemingly specific experiences and transform them to resonate with a broader audience.”
--Siobhan M, Amazon reviewer
“Ute Carson’s writing speaks to the soul. Her poems have something that relate to everyone. Her books make the perfect gift! Her words hit you like the “quote” you need at that moment! If you have never read poetry try this book—it will surprise you and give you hope for tomorrow.”'
--Jasmine Pantuso, Amazon reviewer
“Listen is a collection of engaging poems which invites one to read it again and again. The poetry evokes forgotten memories of naive youth, parental pressures, and the ever-present aging process. Carson's carefully chosen phrases prompt emotional responses from the reader as they describe her personal experiences. Her acute awareness of the beauty in nature is woven delicately into her verse which enhances our appreciation of how we live in harmony with our surroundings. This is an exceptional book which will give the reader pleasure, insight, and comfort.”
--G. Merrell, Amazon reviewer
“Ute Carson and I have had very different life paths, but her poems are always relatable. Her words impact my thoughts, emotions, and give me much to ponder. They take me into a world I wouldn’t otherwise get to expereience. Her poems are a gift to all.
--Melissa Weiner, Amazon reviewer