1 — Confessions (1948)
John Cage’s “A composer’s confessions” tells the story of his professional ambition, its failed realization, and the resulting disappointment and self-doubt. Disillusioned in New York, he turned away from the world, looked inward, and began a search for meaning.
Introduction — The still point (1951)
Introduction to a series of posts on John Cage’s musical and spiritual path of the 1940s and early 1950s. To understand his taking up of chance in 1951, you have to understand this journey, and to fully understand the journey, you must be able to see it as a journey into both musical silence and inner silence.
Site-specific writing
I just finished my latest project, which has been occupying me since January: the text for a new piece by Frances called “The third night”. It’s been an adventure and a discovery, my first text written specifically for video.
A sequel to “The old rose reader”
I’ve posted another piece of “non-non-fiction” here: As night falls, which is a kind of sequel to my earlier The old rose reader. Frances has composed a new work using this text and it will be premiered in Seattle later this month. For those not familiar with The old rose reader, here’s the story of that work, and then the story of how As night falls came about.