Recent posts tagged John Cage
2019
The End Of Quality (Not Really)
Some say "good, better, best" is an absurdity and best done away with. I agree, sort of.
2018
Office Space
Steven Savage's latest post is about "rethinking work", and it reminded me of an anecdote courtesy of Milton Glaser...
2017
Artifact And Artifiction
I have been reading the writings of Gerhard Richter, a painter whose view of his work is a good deal more interesting to me than much of the work itself. He was, like John Cage, not interested in creating things that were an expression of his personality; he wanted some larger aspect of things to manifest itself through him. In fact, Cage is explicitly credited as an influence, and in one of the photos in the book, Cage is seen smiling in front of one of Richter's paintings.
It's Always Better When It Doesn't Exist
Why you can't perfect something that was never created to begin with.
2016
Tear Along The Dotted Line Dept.
In stories, things fall apart; that's why they're interesting.
2015
Nothing Special Dept.
"When any image is possible, no image is all that impressive anymore."
2014
You Are What You Dream Dept.
Even our entertainments are works of art whether or not we like it, and have the chance to be taken very, very seriously by somebody out there.
Get In Line Dept.
On the creative trap of First, Second, No Good.
You Suffer But Why? Pt. The Last Dept.
Last ride on the suffering train, I swear!
How To Improve The World (You Will Only Make Matters Worse) Dept.
Don't just do something, sit there!
Young Adult, Not-So-Young Adult Dept.
Why adult fiction doesn't speak to adults anymore.
Sell It Or Shelve It Dept.
The how-to of writing is something to be outgrown, not followed to the end.
No Plan Ever Survives First Contact With The Enemy Dept.
Plan ahead, lest you find yourself behind plan.
2013
Take No Shelter Here Dept.
On (not) taking refuge in one's art.
The Art In Yourself (All 57 Varieties) Dept.
The more kinds of art you try, the better your art becomes.
Improvisation (Derek Bailey)
One of free music's cornerstones, an album of heedless challenges and curious pleasures.
Template In The Head Dept.
Why checklist-driven, beat-structure construction works in the short run but is ruinous in the long run.
Astonish Me Dept.
"I demand two things from a composer: invention, and that he astonish me." What did Stockhausen mean by this?
The Stanislavsky Solution Dept.
On loving the art in yourself, not yourself in the art -- and not letting your art do your living for you.
Intents And Purposes (The Bill Dixon Orchestra)
This one-of-a-kind jazz composition, originally in incredibly limited release, is now back on CD.
2012
Express Yourself, Impress Yourself Dept.
SF&F are always best when they're the voice of an individual observer's insight, not simply a reflection of market demands.
Silence (John Cage)
John Cage's first book (and perhaps the only one of his you need) continues to stimulate, infuriate, and amuse over fifty years later.
Wrestling Match Dept.
The classics aren't things to put on pillars. But neither is popular culture.
2011
Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies and the Truth About Reality (Brad Warner)
Zen explained by a former punk rocker. No, really. And explained very well, too.
2010
Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved by Nature (George Russell)
It was only through George Russell’s obituary that I ever learned about him in the first place. He was not as household a name as Duke or Miles or ‘Trane, but he mattered in a way that is only now...
