Sonic Intimacy: Voice, Species, Technics

by Dominic Pettman

Sonic Intimacy asks us who―or what―deserves to have a voice, beyond the human. Arguing that our ears are far too narrowly attuned to our own species, the book explores four different types of the cybernetic, the gendered, the creaturely, and the ecological. Through both a conceptual framework and a series of case studies, Dominic Pettman tracks some of the ways in which these voices intersect and interact. He demonstrates how intimacy is forged through the ear, perhaps even more than through any other sense, mode, or medium. The voice, then, is what creates intimacy, both fleeting and lasting, not only between people, but also between animals, machines, and even natural those presumed not to have a voice in the first place. Taken together, the manifold, material, actual voices of the world, whether primarily natural or technological, are a complex cacophony that is desperately trying to tell us something about the rapidly failing health of the planet and its inhabitants. As Pettman cautions, we would do well to listen.

Genres: Music, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Theory, Cultural Studies

144 pages, Hardcover

Published March 21, 2017

About the author

Dominic Pettman currently lives, works, learns and teaches in New York City. He is particularly interested in the ways in which "technology" influences our self-perceptions and cultural conversations.

Reviews

[nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book is short, there are some potent ideas between its covers. Through readings of philosophical texts
in voice studies (Cavarero, Dolar, Nancy, etc.) and some creative case studies, Pettman explores the concept of voice. How do we decide who (or what) has a voice? Is voice a fundamentally human trait or can nonhuman entities have voices? While the text is theory-heavy, Pettman’s writing is stylish, thoughtful, and clear. I think the final chapter on the ecological voice (“vox mundi,” the voice of the world) is the strongest and offers a good foundation to think about voice & ecology in a way that doesn’t devolve into New Age-y mysticism, but allows for a conception of voice that isn’t beholden to liberal constructions of subjectivity.

[Deki Napolju · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read. While it doesn't always work and I did sometimes find it difficult to get swept up in the flow of this work, there is a lot packed between its covers. For me it has proved quite valuable in illuminating certain quotes from Thoreau, Nietzsche, DeLanda, Yourcenar and others. Pettman's writing style is also refreshingly gentle (at times) and innocently emphatic (at others).

[Cana McGhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

short little book that interprets big sources in voice studies (derrida, barthes, deleuze, dolar primarily), thru some interesting case studies (Her, the myth of orpheus, parrots, and more).