I love sound, and consider myself a bit of a purveyor or collector of sound in my writing, teaching, living. But as the chirps and beeps of our lives thicken, George Michelson Foy entertains notions of cultural silence in his book Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute Silence. Listen to what he says about his quest in this interview from To the Best of Our Knowledge.
I’m inspired by this idea of “tracking down silence,” and that different cultures around the world have varied notions and practices of sound and silence. What are the sounds of your life? Where do you go for absolute silence? How would you describe that relentless quiet? Is there a space, an environment, a photo that you feel represents absolute silence?
Dionne
I love this Dionne. Thanks for sharing. This is one of the things I love about living out in the “country” where the sounds, if not completely absent, are of a quieter nature than in the city. But then I love the city sounds too…as I experience them nearly every day. I’m so fortunate to have those options and never take it for granted.
You make me think of the graceful dance you do between cityscape and rural space. You get the best of both worlds: the rumbling energy of the city alongside the hum of the earth. And that “sounds” nice…