A Listening Thing

“All night, into the morning and here it is one o’clock in the afternoon and I’m still sitting here in my underwear, bleary eyed in quiet awe of this book.” This book is William Michaelian’s powerful first novel, A Listening Thing. In it, Stephen Monroe, a romantic misfit and underground man, is no one’s hero. But his intensely personal narrative rings true on a vast social scale, and his quiet life of desperation is a clear indictment of a culture that has lost its way. Noted for its dignity and humor, A Listening Thing does more than shed light on our human predicament. It goes to the heart of love and teaches us how to live. The text in this special edition is identical to that published online by the author in 2003 after it was examined and corrected. It replaces the unauthorized version distributed to the book trade in bound uncorrected galley proofs in 2002, which were later sold online at collectible prices. Extra materials from the original unpublished and online editions of the novel are included for the record. The author’s Preface, Afterword, and revealing in-depth Interview are new, and here published for the first time. Extra materials from the original unpublished and online editions of the novel are included for the record. The author’s Preface, Afterword, and in-depth Interview are new, and here published for the first time.