Elizabeth Rosner
Headshot for Elizabeth Rosner
Agent: Miriam Altshuler
Personal Website

Elizabeth Rosner is the author of three novels, a poetry collection, and most recently Survivor Café: The Legacy of Trauma and the Labyrinth of Memory. Her novel The Speed of Light was translated into nine languages and won several awards in the US and in Europe, including being shortlisted for the prestigious Prix Femina. Blue Nude was named among the best books of 2006 by the San Francisco ChronicleElectric City was named among the best books of 2014 by NPR. Survivor Café, her first work of nonfiction, was named among the best books of 2017 by the San Francisco Chronicle and was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Her essays and reviews have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Elle, the San Francisco Chronicle and others. She lives in Berkeley, CA.

Praise for THIRD EAR: Reflections on the Art and Science of Listening:

"THIRD EAR: Reflections on the Art and Science of Listening is a marvel – a beautifully-written, meticulously researched, and fascinating exploration of the transformative power of listening. If you’re anything like me, your copy will be dog-eared and underlined, like all of your favorite books.” —Adrienne Brodeur, author of Little Monsters

“Elizabeth Rosner’s Third Ear should be required for the entire human race. Rosner is one of the greatest writers and thinkers of our time—with insight into this century’s difficult socio-political and ethical questions. With clarity and intimacy, Rosner renders a sonic universe in which reciprocity connects all of life through deep listening. We are one small part of a large, delicate ecosystem—from the soil bioacoustics to the toxic pesticides we use, from the extinction of different species to the threat of our own. Third Ear gives us a second chance to look inside ourselves and find something human in us.” —E. J. Koh, author of The Liberators and The Magical Language of Others

"Elizabeth Rosner asks us to consider how listening can profoundly shape who we are, long before we really understand what it is we've heard." —Bonnie Tsui, bestselling author of Why We Swim and American Chinatown

“There is a world of knowledge of listening floating around us, in sound and on the page. No one has connected these stories to their own life and memories better than Elizabeth Rosner. I thought I knew this material after years of swimming in it, but she has revealed depths of sonic purpose through the unique connections she draws. This is a rare and profound book.” —David Rothenberg, author of Whale Music and Secret Sounds of Ponds

"[A] lyrical blend of memoir and science. . . . This soothes the soul." —Publishers Weekly 

  • THIRD EAR: Reflections on the Art and Science of Listening
    Counterpoint Press, 2024
  • SURVIVOR CAFÉ
    Counterpoint Press, 2017
  • ELECTRIC CITY
    Counterpoint Press, 2014