John Cage on music and mushrooms

“I have come to the conclusion that much can be learned about music by devoting oneself to the mushroom.”

Welcome to the latest issue of Subtle Maneuvers. Previously, we looked at Maxine Hong Kingston’s dance with self-discipline.

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John Cage (1912–1992)

Last week I learned of John Cage: A Mycological Foray, a new book from Atelier Editions that collects the experimental composer’s writings and findings about mushrooms. Though I haven’t yet gotten my hands on the two-volume monograph (it’s currently on backorder), reading about it prompted me to do some further digging into Cage’s hobbies and habits.