Listen

The word listen is an intransitive verb. It requires pairing with the preposition to in order to be able to act on or affect something else, a direct object. I listen to music. This can seem like a limitation, an indication that listening as a practice isn’t active, doesn’t act on the world. However, this detail of language reflects a reality of listening. It is possible, perhaps even more fundamental, to listen without listening to something in particular.…