Re: Questions on mesostics and the software Cage used

	On Jan 14, 2019, at 17:23, David Bellows <[email protected]> wr=
ote:

	As I was checking my results against Nicki's, I noticed that hers
	would leave out words in the wing words which she justified with th=
e
	following:

	"Cage: 'Then I take out the words I don't want.'
	My interpretation: Don't add all possible words between spine lette=
rs.=E2=80=9D


Does she still hold this interpretation with on the updated page that I ment=
ioned?
(I should look - and try out some text that I know=E2=80=A6)

If she still holds to this =E2=80=9Cloose=E2=80=9D interpretation,
then I have to say =E2=80=9Cno=E2=80=9D to it.
Mainly because the idea of taking out words willy-nilly
doesn=E2=80=99t match up to what we all pretty much know about Cage.

I=E2=80=99m also of the opinion that if you have to second-guess John=E2=80=99=
s interpretations,
it always seems to be better to do so in the manner of extrapolation of his
general philosophy...even if Cage himself may have not have possibly thought=
 of =E2=80=9Cit.=E2=80=9D

What do I mean?

In 2012, I attended a talk given by Ray Kass about Cage=E2=80=99s watercolor=
s.
During the Q&A session that followed, I asked if Cage had used chance
operations to determine whether to go clockwise or counter when he
painted around his various sized rocks that he frequently used.
The silence that followed was not unlike John=E2=80=99s spoken silence.

A hand to a chin ... silence ... =E2=80=9Chmmm...=E2=80=9D

=E2=80=9COK, let me ask this: when John drew his circles did he use chance o=
perations=20
to decide where on the perimeter of the circle he would start drawing? - =E2=
=80=98cause,
you know, it=E2=80=99d be easy to divide the perimeter into 64 with 16 at ea=
ch quadrant...=E2=80=9D

< crickets ... >

I remember a similar instance with John even when it didn=E2=80=99t involve h=
is own work.
He became excited when we were discussing a work I was in the middle of in t=
he early 80s that involved my using a text called =E2=80=9CThe Man'y=C5=8Dsh=
=C5=AB.=E2=80=9D While mentioning all kinds of
elements that were being subjected to chance operations, he would offer new s=
uggestions. You could see his eyes light up at the possibilities.

So, I think that if you are steeped enough in Cage philosophy, there can be s=
ome
possible extrapolations that can be used in some creative instances, but, it=
 needs to genuinely be in the direction of selfless pursuit - a kind that yi=
elds new learning experiences that are not necessarily pedantic, but ones th=
at produce ideas that push you creatively forward.

Rod=