John Cage (Ex)Plain(Ed)

Writer/composer/performer/painter/poet are just a few hats that the musician John Cage (1912-1992) wore through his long and productive life. For over five decades, he changed the shape of American art and culture by pushing the envelope of what could be called "art". Quietly, working at the edges of acceptability, often ridiculed and rarely performed at first, Cage grew to be the most influential of all American artists, influencing not only composers and fellow musicians like Philip Glass, but also performance artists such as Laurie Anderson and Yoko Ono and visual artists Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. This book presents Cage's life and works in all media, explaining the workings of one of our greatest creators.-- Describes Cage's major works in all media, including musical works, theatrical pieces, radio works, visual arts, and poetry and prose-- Draws extensively on interviews with Cage conducted by the author and not previously published