Collection of essays and poems explores the importance of touch

In recent years, many have found their lives altered regarding physical contact. In “The Art of Touch,” psychologists, healers, massage therapists, academics, creative writers and others reflect on what it means to touch.

Thirty-nine of some of the most creative thinkers of our times consider the impact of touch in this collection of prose and poetry. They explore what it means to be able to touch or experience touch, or to have to go without it—as what became the reality for many because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also examine touch in the digital age with transmissions such as texting and Zoom.

From the experience of touching beloved animals to the ways in which books and performances can touch us, virtually all aspects of touch are considered in this collection.