@e^d9W][WdZ?dl[ij_jkh[0 KdcWdd_d]j^[Ioij[c @kb_WHeX_died My deep appreciation goes to Suzanne :_iYekhi[iWh[dejedY[WdZ\ehWbbikXi[hl_[djjefem[hehhW_i[ZkfW]W_dij_j" Hudson for her support and reading Wdoceh[j^Wdi_b[dY[iWh[$M[ckijcWa[WbbemWdY[\ehj^[Yecfb[nWdZkdijWXb[ of this text. Thanks also to Adam Lehner for his sound editorial advice. fheY[iim^[h[XoZ_iYekhi[YWdX[Xej^Wd_dijhkc[djWdZWd[\\[Yje\fem[h" XkjWbieW^_dZhWdY["WijkcXb_d]XbeYa"Wfe_dje\h[i_ijWdY["WdZWijWhj_d]fe_dj \ehWdeffei_d]ijhWj[]o$ 1. Michel Foucault, The History of Sexu- ' ality: Volume 1 – An Introduction. New —Michel Foucault. York: Vintage Books, 1980, pp. 100–1. 2. John Cage, Silence. Middletown, :_iYekhi["WiWc[Wdie\Y^Wdd[b_d]WdZWbj[h_d]fem[hh[bW# Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1961. j_edi"_ij^[YhkY_WbWkn_b_Whoe\@e^d9W][ÊiYecfei_j_edWbfhWY# 3. The many volumes edited by Richard j_Y[$9W][_ied[Ó]kh[e\j^[jm[dj_[j^Y[djkhom^e^WiX[[d Kostelanetz are the first important ex- kdZ[hijeeZfh[Zec_dWdjboj^hek]^^_iemdmehZi"if[Y_ÓYWbbo" ample of this; starting with the interview with Cage in his The Theater of Mixed j^hek]^j^[Z_Wbe]_Yh[fh[i[djWj_ede\^_ib_\[WdZmeha$>_i Means, New York: Limelight Editions, Yebb[Yj[Zmh_j_d]iWdZb[Yjkh[im[h[fkXb_i^[Z_d'/,'Wij^[ 1968, followed soon after by Richard ( Kostelanetz, (ed.), John Cage: An An- XeeaI_b[dY[Wjj^[ijWhje\^_i]h[Wjh[demd"WdZj^[o\k[b[Z_j$ thology, New York: Praeger, 1970, and J^_imWi^WhZbo9W][ÊiÓhijki[e\ckbj_fb[Z_iYkhi_l[WffheWY^[i continuing into the 1990s and beyond. After Silence came the second volume je[ijWXb_i^[WY^ij[fe\^_ifhe`[Yj"Xkj_jmWij^[Óhijj_c[ by Cage, A Year From Monday, Middle- j^[om[h[cWff[Z$7hhWd][Z_ddej#gk_j[#Y^hedebe]_YWbehZ[h" town, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1967, and several other books of writ- ^_ifhe]hWccWj_Yif[[Y^#WYji"j^[_hkdYedl[dj_edWbehhWj^[h" ings in the same format as the latter, Wdj_#Yedl[dj_edWbceZ[ie\YedijhkYj_edÅZ[cedijhWj[Z which had of course followed the format of Silence. The collaboration For the j^hek]^\ehcWb"jofe]hWf^_YWbZ_\\[h[dj_Wj_edÅWh[h[l[Wb[Z^[h[ Birds: John Cage in conversation with _dWbbj^[_h_dj[hZ_iY_fb_dWhoZ_c[di_edi$?dZ[[Z"I_b[dY[mWij^[ Daniel Charles, edited by Daniel Charles (Boston: Marion Boyars, 1981), is ÓhijYedieb_ZWj_ede\9W][ÊiWYYkckbWj[Zf[h\ehcWdY[iÅj^[Óhij also a key part of this record. Another ]b_cfi[e\^_iioij[cWj_YijhWj[]_[ie\f[h\ehcWj_l_joÅ_dfh_dj$ important, recent case is Cage’s cor- 7dZj^[_d_j_WbmWl[e\b_j[hWjkh[Åj^[fh_cWho"Wim[bbWij^[ respondence with Pierre Boulez. Though ) this is clearly less conscious discourse ^oXh_Z"fh_cWho#i[YedZWhojof[Å\ebbem[Zj^_ib[WZ$ J^hek]^ on Cage’s side, or differently conscious j^[[nj[di_l[Yebb[Yj[Z_dj[hl_[mi"j^[Z[lej[Zfh[i[djWj_ede\ (with an audience of one rather than with publication in mind). See Jean- c[j_YkbekiceiW_Yie\^_iijWj[c[dji"WdZj^[dkc[heki Jacques Nattiez, (ed.), The Boulez-Cage gkejWj_ed#^[WloWdWboi[iWYY[fj_d]Ç^_imehZÈ\eh^emj^_d]i Correspondence (1990), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993. More m[dj"9W][Êile_Y[h[cW_d[ZZ_ij_dYjbofh[i[dj$JekdZ[hiYeh[ recently: Peter Dickinson’s Cage Talk: j^_i[\\[YjjWa[idej^_d]WmWo\hecj^[h[YehZe\^_ii_]d_ÓYWdY[$ Dialogues with and about John Cage, Rochester: University of Rochester ?\Wdoj^_d]"_jWZZije_j$J^Wj"e\Yekhi["mWij^[_dj[dj_ed$ Press, 2006. This is very much a partial list of the dialogic structure of the Cagean record; many more examples 7ioij[cWj_YijkZoe\j^[Z_iYkhi_l[WYji9W][Z[fbeo[Zjefei_j_ed could be cited. ^_iYecfei_j_ed_iWbbXkjWXi[dj\hecj^[[n_ij_d]9W][b_j[hWjkh[$ +* J^_i[iiWo[nfbeh[im^Wj?WcYWbb_d]9W][ÊiijhWj[]_YceZ[be\ Ç_dl[ij_jkh["ÈWdZ^em_jYedjh_Xkj[Zje^_ikd_gk[ijWdZ_d]_dj^[ ^_ijehoe\ceZ[hdcki_YWdZ_djm[dj_[j^#Y[djkhoWhj$J^[^_ije# h_Wd;h_YIWdjd[hZ[Ód[ij^[YedY[fje\Ç_dl[ij_jkh[È_dj[hci e\\ekdZ_d]cec[dji"Wim[bbWiÇ_cfWii[iWdZYedÔ_Yjij^Wj f[hjW_djei^_\ji_dj^[\kdZWc[djWbcWjh_ne\j^[_dZ_l_ZkWbÊi h[bWj_edjeieY_WbWdZ_dij_jkj_edWbWkj^eh_jo"jej^[mWoi^[ehi^[ h[ifedZijej^[YWbbie\Ée\ÓY_WbÊfem[hWdZWkj^eh_jo$È7i9W][ mWim[bbWmWh["j^[i[ÇYWbbiÈYedij_jkj[YhkY_WbfheY[ii[i0 H_j[iWdZfheY[Zkh[ie\iocXeb_Y_dl[ij_jkh[m^[h[XoWd_dZ_l_ZkWb_i [dZem[Zm_j^Wd[mieY_WbijWjki"_iÓbb[Zm_j^WiocXeb_YcWdZWj[j^Wj^[dY[\ehj^ _d\ehci^_ieh^[h_Z[dj_jo_dj^[Yecckd_jo$J^[ieY_WbWdZfeb_j_YWbijWX_b_joe\W ieY_[jo¾mekbZWff[WhjeX[Yehh[bWj[Zjej^[[\ÓYWYoe\j^[i[iocXeb_Yef[hWj_edi Åjem^Wjm[c_]^jYWbbj^[_hf[h\ehcWj_l[cW]_YÅm^[h[Xo_dZ_l_ZkWbiÇX[Yec[ m^ej^[oWh["ÈWiikc[j^[ieY_Wb¾Qheb[SWii_]d[Zjej^[cXomWoe\dWc[i"j_jb[i" 4. Eric Santner, My Own Private Z[]h[[i"^edehi"WdZj^[b_a[$* Germany: Daniel Paul Schreber’s Secret History of Modernity, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1996, :_iYkii_d]j^[i_d]kbWhfioY^eWdWboj_YYWi[e\:Wd_[bFWkbIY^h[X[h –XII pp. XI . Wjj^[jkhde\j^[jm[dj_[j^Y[djkhoWih[fh[i[djWj_l[e\WÇYh_i_iÈ e\ceZ[hd_jo"IWdjd[hWh]k[ij^Wjj^[iocXeb_YehZ[h^WZX[Yec[ iem[Wa[d[ZÅÇYehhkfj"È[l[dÇhejj[dÈÅj^Wj_jiiocXebi^WZ jkhd[Zi_ckbWYhWb"[if[Y_Wbbo_dj^[YWi[e\^_ifWhWde_WYikX`[Yj$ 7jWbWj[hcec[dj"9W][i[_p[iikY^W\hW]_b[Ó[bZe\i_ckbWYhWÅ ikY^jea[die\iocXeb_Yfem[hÅWdZWffhefh_Wj[i_jjei[j^_ifhe`# [Yjed_jiYekhi[$9W][Êih[bWj_edi^_fjej^[\kdYj_edie\iocXeb_Y fem[hmWifWhj_YkbWh$7im[m_bbZ_iYkii"^[mWi_dj_cWj[boWmWh[ e\j^ei[\kdYj_edi"WdZceh[hWZ_YWbboZ_ijWdY[Z\hecj^[cj^Wd ceij$7jj^[Ykife\ceZ[hd_joWdZfeijceZ[hd_jo"ikY^WYecfb[n h[bWj_edi^_ffhel[ZYh_j_YWb$ 9W][Êi]hWife\ÇiocXeb_Y_dl[ij_jkh[ÈÅ^_iYWfWY_jo\ehWffh[Y_Wj# _d]Wbbj^WjYWdcWa[W][ijkh[fem[h\kbWdZc[Wd_d]\kb_dj^[ bWh][hioij[c_djem^_Y^_ji[[aije_dj[hl[d[Åh[cW_dij^[ikX# ijhWj[e\^_ifhWYj_Y[WdZ_jiij_bb#m_Z[d_d]_cfWYj$J^_ihWh[ kdZ[hijWdZ_d]Wbbem[Z9W][jeZ[l[befWffheWY^[ijecki_YWb 5. The term “the creative act” invokes Yecfei_j_edj^WjmekbZWYYecfb_i^deb[iij^Wdj^[h[Z[Ód_j_ed the title of Marcel Duchamp’s important e\j^[Yh[Wj_l[WYjWdZ_ji_cfb_YWj_edi_d^_ij_c[$+DejedboZ_Z foray into a similar performativity. The lecture, given in Houston (April, 9W][ÊiijhWj[]_[ie\Çi[b\#Wkj^eh_p_d]ÈWbbem^_cjehkfjkh[cki_# 1957) for the American Federation of YWbYedl[dj_ed"j^[ofe_dj[ZX[oedZj^[b_c_jie\j^WjZ_iY_fb_d[" the Arts, announced, among other things, that the spectator completes the ef[d_d]^_iceZ[be\Ç;nf[h_c[djWb9ecfei_j_edÈjeki[i_d work. It was reprinted in the important Whj"Óbc"WdZX[oedZ$M[YWddemh[Ye]d_p[9W][Êi_cfbWYWXb[ monograph Sur Marcel Duchamp by Robert Lebel, Paris: Trianon Press, 1959, [\\ehjijeY^Wd][cki_YWbYecfei_j_edWiWd_dj[hl[dj_ed_dje translated into English the same year: ÇZ_iY_fb_d[iÈ_d][d[hWb"WdZkbj_cWj[bo"_djej^[fem[hd[jmehai Lebel, Marcel Duchamp, George Heard Hamilton (trans.), New York: Grove e\Wd[l[h#[nfWdZ_d]"_dYh[Wi_d]boj[Y^debe]o#Zh_l[dWh[dWe\ Press, 1959. ÇYecckd_YWj_ed$ÈM^WjcWZ[j^[meha\kdYj_edWiikY^mWij^[ ++ \WYjj^Wj^_i[\\ehjiWiWYecfei[hÅZ[Ód_d]WcWjh_ne\c[Z_Wj_ed j^WjYedi_ij[djboWffh[^[dZ[Zj^[ZodWc_YÓ[bZe\_jih[Y[fj_edÅ m[h[Yekfb[Zm_j^YedijWdjmehaWjj^[b[l[be\Z_iYekhi[$ ?d^_i_cfehjWdjXeeaJ^[Cki_Ye\@e^d9W]['//)"@Wc[iFh_jY^[jj ijWhjiekjXocWa_d]Wfb[W\ehj^[h[Ye]d_j_ede\9W][Wi"\kdZW# 6. James Pritchett, The Music of John c[djWbbo"WYecfei[h$,=_l[dj^[h[Y[fj_ede\9W][Wi[l[hoj^_d] Cage, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993. I use Pritchett’s exceptional \hecf^_beief^[hjefe[jjeWhj_ijWjj^[j_c[e\_jimh_j_d]Åj^[ study extensively in what follows, XeeamWifkXb_i^[Zj^[o[WhW\j[h9W][ÊiZ[Wj^Åj^[dkc[heki as it remains one of the most usefuland valuable sources in the literature on Ç9W][iÈi[[c[ZjeFh_jY^[jjjeX[][jj_d]_dj^[mWoe\j^_i\kd# Cage. However, since I use it as a ZWc[djWbÇ9W][#j^[#Yecfei[h$ÇM^Wjj^[Xeeakbj_cWj[boZ[c# clear map of the oeuvre in order to go somewhere else, I would start with a edijhWj[ij^hek]^_ji[njhWfebWj_ede\j^[iYeh[i"WdZj^[iYef[e\ disclaimer. To paraphrase what Cage j^[_hZ[l[befc[dj"el[hZ[YWZ[i"^em[l[h"_i9W][Êi[nfed[dj_Wb once said about his use of Zen: what [nfWdi_ede\Wbbj^Wj^_iZ_iY_fb_d[^WZademdWiÇYecfei_j_ed$È I do here I would not wish to be blamed on Pritchett. 9W][][d[hWj[Z[l[hceh[ief^_ij_YWj[ZcWjh_Y[i\ehYWfjkh_d] h[bWj_edi"WdZikif[dZ_d]j^[kdademd"_\dejj^[_hh[YedY_bWXb[$ ?d_j_Wbbo"j^[iYeh[ijhkYjkh[Wbbem[Z^_cje_dYehfehWj[cWj[h_Wb \ehm^_Y^j^[h[fh[l_ekibo^WZX[[ddeWbbemWdY[cWZ[_dcki_Y0 _dYbkZ_d]j^[Çd[miekdZiÈ^[WZZ[Zjef[hYkii_edcki_Y" Çde_i["ÈY^WdY["WdZ"\Wcekibo"WYecfb[nceZ[be\Çi_b[dY[$È J^hek]^Yedj_dkWbh[Ód[c[djWdZYbWh_ÓYWj_ed"9W][h[dZ[h[Z j^[Z_l_i_edi"c[Wikh[i"WdZifWj_e#j[cfehWbh[]_ij[hie\Yec# fei_j_edef[djeiekdZÅWbbiekdZÅikY^j^Wjj^[iYeh[WYYhk[Z m_Z[hWffb_YWj_edi$J^[Yb[WdY^Wd][9W][cWZ[\hecj^[ki[ e\j[cfejeYbeYaj_c[[$]$"j^[ijefmWjY^ki[Zjei_]dWbj^[ 7. Liz Kotz traces this singular ijhkYjkh[e\^_iÇi_b[djÈiYeh[*’))“[n[cfb_Ó[ij^_i$-J^[c_Yhe# condition of adaptability in Cage’s cWYheYehh[bWj_edi"j^hek]^m^_Y^j^[_dZ_l_ZkWbkd_jie\^_i scores – identifying its origins in his earliest works and the significance Yecfei_j_edYehh[ifedZ[Zjej^[m^eb["kbj_cWj[bob[ZjeWYeh# of contemporaneous technologies – h[ifedZ[dY[X[jm[[diYeh[WdZmehbZ$D[miYeh[ceZ[biWbbem[Z in her essay. See pp. 118–35 of this volume. 9W][jeh[eh]Wd_p[WdZh[m[_]^jj^[Yecfed[djie\j^[meha" WdZ[l[djkWbbo"j^[h[bWj_edi^_fiX[jm[[df[h\ehc[hi"X[jm[[d f[h\ehc[hiWdZWkZ_[dY[i"WdZ[l[dX[jm[[dZ_\\[h[djWkZ_[dY[ c[cX[hi$ÇIjhkYjkh["È^[iW_Z"ÇedY[WYY[fj[Z"WYY[fjim^Wj# [l[h$È.9W][ef[d[Zj^[ijhkYjkh[e\j^[iYeh[jeÇWYY[fjÈdej 8. John Cage, “Lecture on Nothing” (1950), Silence, p. 111. edboded#cki_YWbcWj[h_WbXkjWbied[mj[Y^debe]_[i"j^ei[Xej^ ademdWdZWjj^[j_c[kdademWXb[$7j[cfbWj[[nYbki_l[je cki_Y"_d9W][Êi^WdZij^[iYeh[X[YWc[WZ[l_Y[\ehc[Z_Wj_d] i[diehoij_ckb_X[oedZj^[WkhWb$7jWj_c[e\hWZ_YWbboY^Wd]_d] f[hY[fjkWbceZ[bi"j^[iYeh[mWiWjeebj^WjfbWY[Z9W][_dWfei_# j_eddel_ikWbWhj_ije\j^[j_c[YekbZcWjY^$ Ed[e\9W][Êiceijijh_a_d]cel[iWiWcki_Y_Wd%Yecfei[hmWi jeYWhl[ekjWfbWY["l[ho[Whboed"\ehj^[l_ikWbZ_c[di_ede\j^[ +, WkZ_[dY[Êi[nf[h_[dY[$?dWcel[YecfWhWXb[jeCWhY[b:kY^WcfÊi [\\ehji"WiWl_ikWbWhj_ij"je[nY_i[j^[h[j_dWbÅ_dehZ[hjeWXiehX