John Cage's Mycological Passion Explored in New Two-Volume Publication

A new two-volume study, 'John Cage: A Mycological Foray,' delves into the American composer's deep engagement with fungi, revealing how his amateur mycology influenced his avant-garde music. Published by Atelier Éditions, the work includes reproductions of Cage's 1972 Mushroom Book and his 1983 poem 'Mushrooms et Variationes,' alongside contributions from various writers, artists, and curators. Cage, who cofounded the New York Mycological Society, emphasized that his interest lay not in psychoactive properties but in the foraging process, which he saw as a structured counterpoint to his musical experiments with chance and disharmony. In 1954, while establishing an electronic music studio in Stony Point, New York, he was drawn into the local woods, where a misidentification led him to consume a poisonous hellebore, resulting in hospitalization. This life-and-death aspect of mycology contrasted with his belief that no sounds in music are deadly, as he stated in a Zen-inspired reflection. The publication highlights Cage's appearance on an Italian quiz show with 'toadstool' as his specialty, underscoring his public enthusiasm. He famously remarked that much could be learned about music by devoting oneself to mushrooms, though he never used drugs, focusing instead on the discipline required in fungal identification. The study tracks his adventures from the 1950s onward, offering insights into how this hobby served as a crucial balance to his compositional freedom.