Scholarly discussion of the music of John Cage.

[Rod Stasick <>]

Cage first wrote one prose segment to celebrate
Edwin Denby's birthday and later changed the 
method to having each letter of the name on a 
separate line. The style was then just like the
50% form that we know today. He thought he 
was writing acrostics, but Norman O. Brown
suggested the term "mesostic" and Cage thought
that was wonderful and used that term from then on.

In other words, the form was already existent
(the 50% that we know - and the form that does NOT
appear in the "mesostic generator") and John just
gave it the name that Brown suggested.

Also, here's a quick, concise way to describe the process:

50 percent mesostics: between any two

mesoletters, you can't have the second

and

100 percent mesostics: between any two

mesoletters, you can't have either.

best to all,

Rod

---

http://stasick.org

On apr 9, 2556 BE, at 14:17, Dionysis Boukouvalas wrote:

So, they are just not Cagean mesostics. But still, technically they are mesostics, in that the term just defines the word going down in the middle, as opposed to acrostic of course. Isn't that Cage's definition of it? The added rules is a thing of his, but I don't regard it as generally limiting. But, hey, since we are talking Cage here, sure it would be nice to have these variable choices available, as to 50%, 100% (or... 0%!)

Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2013 15:10:12 -0400
From: 
To: 
CC: ; 
Subject: [silence] Re: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: Re: Mesostic generator

Sorry, bad editing. Let's say that two successive letters of a string are C and A. in the 100% mesostic, C and A can't appear in the uncapitalized letters between these two mesoletters; in the 50%, only C could. 


On Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 3:08 PM, Rob Haskins <> wrote:
Actually, they aren't true mesostics even in Cage's definition. According to Cage's practice, he distinguished between 50% and 100% meesostics. In the 100% kind, neither letter 2 successive letters in the mesostic string can appear in the uncapitalized letters between them. In the 50% kind, the first letter can't appear. The mesostic generator doesn't make this distinction. I'm sure that's what Rod's referring to.


On Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 2:56 PM, Carl Heppenstall <> wrote:
One thing that makes it less engaging is inability to find a website that is purely textual, pure source and does not have all of the other obtrusive Internet phrasing.


Best,
Carl

Sent from my Bicycle.



On Apr 9, 2013, at 1:18 PM, "Dionysis Boukouvalas" <> wrote:

They sure look like mesostics to me. Why are you saying that they are not mesostics? I'm guessing you are referring to the mesostic rules here?

From: 
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2013 09:52:26 -0500
To: 
Subject: [silence] Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: Re: Mesostic generator

It's a "mesostic generator" that doesn't generate mesostics.

ஐ

---
Now playing: Trembling Bells - Adieu, England

http://stasick.org

On apr 9, 2556 BE, at 09:46, Dionysis Boukouvalas wrote:

Because I don't want to search it now, what exactly is the problem?

From: 
Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2013 09:11:48 -0500
To: 
Subject: [silence] Re: RE: Re: Re: Mesostic generator

Well, the idea is nice - and the look is attractive,
but a pretty car that doesn't work properly is
pretty much useless no matter what kinds of 
variables or, as the software creator states,
"extended features" and "additional options"
it has. I may drop the fellow a line to have him
keep me up-to-date on when he gets it working.

best,

︣

---
Now playing: Eliane Radigue & Charles Curtis - Naldjorlak

http://stasick.org


On apr 9, 2556 BE, at 06:43, Dionysis Boukouvalas wrote:

Still nice though :-)

Well of course, a lot of variables should be available to the user, as to the exact nature of the mesostics produced.
Let's hope they get there!
(Let us know when they will.)

From: 
Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2013 22:29:50 -0500
To: 
Subject: [silence] Re: Re: Mesostic generator

The only real problem with the examples shown
is that they are not mesostics, so the software
needs to work. Trying John's name with the
CNN setting (and the Louis Goldstein example)  
still brings up non-mesostics as well apparently.

R


---
http://stasick.org


On apr 7, 2556 BE, at 10:02, Rob Haskins wrote:

In honor of Roger Ebert, here are 10 mesostics on his name

 
  Rogerebert.com
 m Ovie
 ' Great
 movi Es':
 glossa Ry
 
 on E-minute
  By
 yahoo!  movi E
 p Rotagonist
 s Tumbles,
 
 ove R
  On
 "hi Gh
 "ac E
 f Ran
 
 p Elzman
  Buy
 tick Ets.
  Rss
 headlines abou T
 
 & Raquo; email
 m Ovie
 passin G
 h Er
 c Ritic:“i
 
 d Evastated
  By
 th E
 oh-so-b Rilliant
 fough T
 
 cou Rageous
 l Ost
 hi Ghs
 th E
 humo R,
 
 d Eep
 a Biding
 lov E
 fo R
 movies.excep T
 
 fo R
 th Ose
 darin G
 dir Ector,
 o R,
 
 id Eally,
  By
 tattoo-spangl Ed
 th Rough
  Tent
 
 hund Red
 gl Obe-shaped
 ca Ge.
  Extended
 t Racking
 
 b E
 a Bout
  Experience
 t Ry
  To
 
 you R
 vacati On,
 teena Gers
 hav E
 va Rious
 
 th E
 a Bout
 attractiv E
 fo R
  Twisted
 
 a Re
 n Othing
 i Gnatiy
 vishn Evetsky"trance",
 fo R
 
 g Et
 a Bramsa
 romanc E,
 d Rama,
  Tantalizes
 
 viewe Rs
  Open-ended
 sin Gular,
 myst Erious
 fo Rm
 
 caus Ed
  By
 ali Enates
 f Rom
  Them.
 
  Room
 wh Ole
 waitin G
 b Ehind
 doo R
 
 th E
 ku Brick's
 "th E
 acco Rding
  To


On Sun, Apr 7, 2013 at 6:45 AM, Dionysis Boukouvalas <> wrote:
http://www.euph0r1a.net/mesostomatic



-- 
Rob Haskins, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Music, College of Liberal Arts
University of New Hampshire
M-105, Paul Creative Arts Center
30 Academic Way
Durham, NH 03824
603-862-3987 (office)
603-862-3155 (fax)
<http://unh.edu/music/>
<http://robhaskins.net>
<http://musicandmiscellaneous.blogspot.com/>








-- 
Rob Haskins, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Music, College of Liberal Arts
University of New Hampshire
M-105, Paul Creative Arts Center
30 Academic Way
Durham, NH 03824
603-862-3987 (office)
603-862-3155 (fax)
<http://unh.edu/music/>
<http://robhaskins.net>
<http://musicandmiscellaneous.blogspot.com/>



-- 
Rob Haskins, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Music, College of Liberal Arts
University of New Hampshire
M-105, Paul Creative Arts Center
30 Academic Way
Durham, NH 03824
603-862-3987 (office)
603-862-3155 (fax)
<http://unh.edu/music/>
<http://robhaskins.net>
<http://musicandmiscellaneous.blogspot.com/>