The name of this blog is a phrase from John Cage's Lecture on Nothing (originally published August 1959, and collected in Silence: Lectures and Writings by John Cage, Wesleyan University Press, 1961). Here is a brief excerpt:
Here we are now at the beginning of the fourth large part of this talk. More and more I have the feeling that we are getting nowhere. Slowly, as the talk goes on, we are getting nowhere and that is a pleasure. It is not irritating to be where one is. It is only irritating to think one would like to be somewhere else. Here we are now a little bit after the beginning of the fourth large part of this talk. More and more we have the feeling that I am getting nowhere. Slowly, as the talk goes on, slowly, we have the feeling we are getting nowhere. That is a pleasure which will continue. If we are irritated it is not a pleasure. Nothing is not a pleasure if one is irritated, but suddenly, it is a pleasure, and then more and more it is not irritating (and then more and more and slowly). Originally we were nowhere; and now, again, we are having the pleasure of being slowly nowhere.
You can hear a longer excerpt beginning with the same passage here (streaming RealAudio), read by Frances Marie-Uitti on her album, John Cage: Works for Cello/Lecture on Nothing (Etcetera label). In its entirety, the piece is about 45 minutes long.
