sonata

this book is really great. i finished it last night but i've been getting a lot out of it for a month or so now. this appears to be a biography of john cage, and it is, but it also weaves in and around the work of the zen teacher d.t. suzuki, the new york art world of the 40s-60s, and really and most importantly it's about a worldview of interconnectedness that informed one person's personal life and work and how his energy moved through all the people he knew and those open to it. they call it "interpenetration". i know after reading this book that i really knew nothing about john cage and the spirit behind his music, which is really a conceptual art and a reflection of his insides. he was tapping into some things elemental and simple. he was really doing it, man. that's not to say i'm dropping the needle on some john cage LPs. i'm not, but that's the best part, you don't have to, it's about the idea of it and being present within that idea as it's happening. he got so down to the root of music and experience that he didn't need to play any notes. he released himself to the currents of whateverness. it's heavy. anyway, i read this more as a philosophy book, one that really resonated with me. i found out about it by reading this site, which i always find something good and brain/soul nourishing. i suggest you check it out if you're half interested and like good books. let's call it crooked arm book club selection #8. soon we will be like oprah and give away cars, but instead of cars you will look under your seat and find a big bag of nothing.