Fairmont State University Library: Common Book 2013-14: In Pursuit of Silence: Events & More

Campus announcement

'In Pursuit of Silence' Announced as Common Read

Author Lecture

4:33 performance

A performance of John Cage's "4:33" is being planned in conjunction with this year's Common Book. The tentative date is Sept. 5, Cage's 101st birthday. Additional details will be announced later this summer.

JohnCage.org: About 4:33
"This is Cage's famous silent piece. Although composed in 1952, he had already thought about it as early as 1948..."
BBC: Radio 3 plays 'silent symphony'
In 2004, Radio 3 broadcast the entire composition live, even switching off its emergency system that cuts in when there is prolonged silence.

Previous Selections

These guides focus on novels chosen in past years for the Common Book Project.

Common Book 2012-13: Frankenstein
by Charley Hively Last Updated Jun 22, 2021 7 views this year

Around the Web

NY Times: Excerpt from the book
Salon: How Noise Really is Killing Us
For most Americans, silence is hard to find these days. Traffic and airplane noise fill most major cities. Cellphone conversations have taken over the parks and sidewalks, buzzing electronics have invaded our homes, and each store has its own carefully shaped “sonic environment."
Silence Opens Doors website
The Silence Opens Doors Project is a new media venture by Muralla Media Works that examines silence and noise as cultural phenomena... the multimedia stories here will draw connections to explore how silence is a response to and an activation of our modern experience.
In Pursuit of Silence, the documentary

Summer Discussion Blog

To be added to the discussion, please email Angela Schwer.

Discussion Blog
Fairmont/Pierpont Faculty & Staff Discussion of the 2013-14 Common Book