Conversing with Cage

by Richard Kostelanetz

Conversing with Cage draws on over 150 interviews with John Cage conducted over four decades to draw a full picture of his life and art. Filled with the witty aphorisms that have made Cage as famous as an esthetic philosopher as a composer, the book offers both an introduction to Cage's way of thinking and a rich gathering of his many thoughts on art, life, and music. John Cage is perhaps this century's most radical classical composer. From his famous silent piece (4'33) to his proclamation that all sound is music, Cage stretched the aesthetic boundaries of what could be performed in the modern concert hall. But, more than that, Cage was a provocative cultural figure, who played a key role in inspiring scores of other artists-and social philosophers-in the second half of the 20th century. Through his life and work, he created revolutions in thinking about art, and its relationship to the world around us. Conversing with Cage is the ideal introduction to this world, offering in the artist's own words his ideas about life and art. It will appeal to all fans of this mythic figure on the American scene, as well as anyone interested in better understanding 20th century modernism.

Genres: Music, Art, Biography, Nonfiction

344 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1988

Reviews

[Anselm]

I love Cage's diction, its got a biscuits and gravy dripping from the ceiling pondering eternity and its rearrangement-vibe, with manners. I listened to some of his music at one point while standing on a sidewalk reading something else, and forgot I was listening to anything.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

best collection of writings on john cage. AMAZING.

[Alex Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cage is great when he's not making music, it turns out.

[Jay Odd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great idea for a book on John Cage. I particularly enjoyed the Autobiography, Visual Arts and Social Philosophy chapters.

[Nathaniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The way this book is structured left me very unsatisfied. Cutting and pasting portions of interviews with other portions of the same topic made for very disjointed reading experience. There were many interesting bits but I did not like that they were removed from the context of their full interviews. I love reading about John Cage, but this is not the book for me.

[Kevin Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

have read this book 10921901 times. fun.