The Rise and Fall of the Sounds and Silences from Mars

(2011)

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A compilation of all the appearances of the words which specifically refer to sound or silence in Ray Bradbury’s book The Martian Chronicles. The piece exists in several forms: installation, video, performance, printed matter. In the performance and video version each page and its corresponding content last a minute. (Page 1 happens to be the only page not containing any word referring to sound or silence).

Presented as an installation at Electric Eclectics 6 in Meaford, Ontario July 29-31, 2011. The installation version was made possible in part thanks to funding from the Ontario Arts Council’s Exhibition Assistance Program.

Presented as part of the performance project Mixer (Toronto).

Book version published by Parasitic Ventures Press.

Back cover blurb by Kenneth Goldsmith:

Christof Migone’s writing-through of Bradbury’s text creates a spinning disorientation and deconstruction upon one of the most readable narrative works ever written in the English language. This simple utopian gesture proposes that, embedded within every text is a disjunctive seed and strain — in this case, words begging to be rendered audible — reminding us of Cage’s observation that, “Music is all around us, if only we had the ears to hear it.” With this one sweeping gesture, Migone gives us those ears.




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SOUNDS AND SILENCES FROM MARS -excerpt (mp4) (9:10)

1

2
voice sang voice
voices
talking
speaking
listening

3
heard
songs quietly
gasping
cried
heard cry
murmured
cried
cried

4
said
softly
said
said
said
spoke
quietly
singing song
whispering sang

5
song
crooning softly silently
sang softly quietly
hummed
song
heard song
hissing
hummed song
said

6
said
talk
quietly
soundless
song
said
said
whispered
whining
singing
whispering
heard crying

7
spoke
hear said
said
said
said
cry
said
speak
silent soundless

8
said spoke
talked
talked
said
cried
shouted
screamed
heard talking singing

9
heard
voice
voice
heard said
whispered
heard
talk

10
said
answer
cry
murmured
said
voice
murmured
hummed hum

11
shriek
listened hum
song
heard
silence
ears
sighs
voice
sang
sounding

12
silence
sound
cried
sounded
sound
humming
screaming screaming screaming
echoes
sound

13
quiet
speak cry
heard
said
heard
said
said silent
song song
hummed song

14
rhythm
cry
crying
cry crying
said
sound
said
hushed
music
sang

15
singing
sang
song
singer
song
music
aloud
tune
tune
sang
cried
slammed

16
listen
humming
tune
screaming
quiet
sound
song
speak
speak speak said

17
chorus
said
speak
speaking said
slammed
knocking
said
said
slammed
knock
cried
said said

18
sound
sound voices
voice voice
said
voices mutter
chant
said
said
said
voices
sound
hear breathing
silence
said

19
said
say
said
said
silent
voices
shouted
said
shouted
listen talk
listen talk
said

20
cried
voices
quietly
hear
whispered
bleated
said
listen
said
voice

21
murmured
talk
said

22
cried
talking
said
say
say
shout

23
laughter
talk
voice

24
silent
sound
said
said
shouts cries
shrieked
singing
shout
clap
said
shouting
speech
applause
voice

25
mouthed
laughed
said
murmured
quiet
said
listen
voice

26
quiet
whispers
yelling singing
sound
whispering

27
whispered
said
voice voice
said
laughed
laughed
ears

28
auditory
roar
speak
listened
screamed
gonged

29
listening
shouted
deaf
auditory
auditory
sound
speak

30
screamed
cried
auditory
mumbled
sound
shouted
screamed
whispered
rang

31
yelled
laughed
said
shut up
cried

32
sirened
sound
silent
silence
shouted
cried
said
said
quiet

33
music
music
silent
whispered
said
said
said
said
said
music

34
cried
said
said
said

35
laugh cry

36
sang
piano music
song
phonograph hissing
sung
phonograph
said
music

37
said
quiet
sound
sound
buzzing
quieted
echoes
hear
humming
rang
cried

38
said
cried
said
said
said
rang
said

39
hear
said
said
said
cried
said
sighed
talk

40
said
quiet
said
said
cry
sounded
shouting
hollering crying
gasping wheezing
cried
piped
sobbed
cried
laughing

41
said
ticked
said
said
shouted
said
said
said
said

42
sound voices shouting
talking laughing
bang
shrill
shouted
speech
cried
slammed
silent
banged
said
said
called

43
said
said
laughing
said

44
sounds music pianos playing
slamming
music said
said
cried
hissing

45
said
sound
whispering
said
phonograph
quiet

46
loud

47
listened
quiet music
said
voice said

48
screamed screamed
dirge
speech
cried
murmured
playing

49
silent
noise
shout
said
said
loud
noise
quietly
shouting

50
yelling
quiet
noise
talk
hear
talk
quiet
said
said
said
said

51
said
talked

52
loudly
quietly
cried
cried
roared
shouted
listened
ears whispering
said
shouted
roared
loudly clapping yelled
noise louder

53
cried wailing
saying
shout wail
laughter
sounds
said
silently
said
said
noise

54
said
sound
sound
said

55
listened
quiet
singing
sound
voice
auditorium

56
chord
sound
quietly
shouted
silently
sound
ear
music
shouted
said

57
quieted
whispering
quietly
quietly aloud
said
said
silently quiet
listened said

58
sound
noise
quiet
crackled
saying
said
said

59
said
said
whispering hum
sound
soundlessly
said
silent
said
say said
said
silence

60
said
said
said
said
said
hummed
said
said
speak
said
cried

61
silent
quiet
said
saying
silent
said

62
said
talk
cried
said
voice
said
listened
sound

63
firing
rang
fired
fire
heard shout

64
said
silence
said
quietly

65
loud
speeches
said listened
said

66
hear

67
sounds
quieted
sounds

68
say
silent
said
listen
music
plays hear
hear
sounds
hear
music

69
said
said
said
said
said
said
said
heard
said
muttered
said

70
sound
yelled
cried

71
screaming
said
loud
whisper heard
loudly
said
said

72
said
said
silent
heard talking
said
singing
said
said

73
listened

74
ear
sound
listening
ear
whistling
said

75
coughing
said

76
shouted
said
screaming

77
laughing
quietly
whispering
cried

78
drums beating
silence

79
said
said
said

80
quietly
hum roar
quiet quiet quieter
sounded sounded
voices
silently
silent
sounded
silence

81
sound
murmur
sounds
said
said
said

82
said
silence
said
said
cried
said
whispered
said
cried
said
said
said
said
said

83
said aloud

84
said
laughing
disquieted
laughed

85
listen hear singing
listened
said
said
said
said
said

86
say
silent
said
said
said
quietly
silently

87
sound
silent
silences

88
hear voices singing
sing sing
heard clatter
sound
listen
gurgle
yelling
hear crackle
hush

89
whispers
playing
shouted
concert
hear

90
silence
hear
laughed
snorted
listen
silences
sound

91
murmuring
screaming wailing
said
heard
said quietly
shouted
call cried
crying

92
quiet
moaned
shout
said
said
rustle
creak whispering
quiet
quietly

93
shut up
song
listen
playing
bang

94
say
cried
said
shouted

95
said
whispered
said
shout
bang
shouted bang
hear
crash
screaming
bang
bang voice
bang bang bang
silence

96
silent
silence
listened
hearing
sound
voices singing laughter
shouts
silent
sound
silenced

97
said
said
said
said
listen
wailed

98
said
silent
said
said
sob crying
said
said
talked
said
said

99
sounds
slammed
said
say
shouted
silence

100
honking horn slamming
said
said
slammed
speak
sound

101
sounded
quiet
said cried
said
whistling cry
crying
silent
listening

102
said
quiet
said

103
soundless
said
silently quiet

104
said
sound
soundproofed

105
said hear

106
wailing
hear
screamed
said

107
sound
said quietly

108
tolls
creaked
sighing moaning
bellows
crying
hissed
cried
said
say
whispering whistling

109
murmuring
silent
cried

110
quietly
shrieked
rang

111
metronomes
silence
screaming
ticking
purring
scream tick
bellow silence
chattered quiet

112
cried
said
rang

113
music
loud
beat
whisper
whispered
said
music

114
rang
said
said
screamed
cried
crying
said

115
cry
scream
said
said
scream
said
said
shrieking
said

116
said
said
said
shouted
said

117
said
say
say say
rang
said
humming
crying
said
screaming
silenced
said
silent
said

118
said
said
sound
voice
shouting sound
silently
loud
listening

119
said
said
said
speak
quietly
hear
listened
said
whistling said
hear

120
cried
shouting
said
said
moaning
said
said
hush hush

121
quietly listened heard
heard
said
said
said

122
said
said
talking cried
said
talking
said quietly

123
said
crying
said
said
said
said

124
said
said
said listen
voice
whimpered
murmured
listening
music phonographs

125
said
talked said
whispered
said
said
speak
said
voice

126
said
said
saying
spoke
singing
sing trilling
hear
heard

127
voices voices
singing
cried
said
silent
speak
voice said
said quiet
voice

128
said voice
voice
listen
quiet voice
voice
voices
sounded
panted

129
music
cried silenced
sound voices
silent
cried
uttered

130
cry
said
voices
screamed
shouted
screamed
cried
shriek

131
said
said cry
said
listening
listen said hear
sound

132
said
said
said heard
said
said

133
said
said
speaking
hear
say
said
said loudly

134
said
said
said
heard
say
musical sounds
speak
voice said
cried
said voice
said
said
said

135
said
listened
cried
silent
said
silently
said
said

136
ssh said ssh
said
said
said
said
said
said
said

137
whispering
cried
said
sound
silence
said
said
whispered

138
said
cried
said
said
listen said
said
said
said
said whispering
said
said
listen
hear

139
screaming
sound
ears
speak
cried
voice

140
said
said voice
said voice
sound applause
saying

141
said voice
said
said voice
said
said
hear
heard
said
said

142
said
sang
said
said
said
said

143
whispered
said
said
said
said
wailed
said silence
music

144
said
whispered
heard
heard

145
silent

146
silent
sound hum
whistling
quiet
tinkling
quiet
cried

147
music
said
heard
listened
ringing

148
screamed
shrieked
buzzzzzzzzz
cried
shouted
cried
ring
murmured
rang
heard click
listened tick
said

149
listened sound
beating beat beat
sh whispered listen
silent
listen
rang
listen ringing
louder louder
louder
screamed
silent
voice
cried

150
recording recited voice
recording
said
rang
voice said
recording
record said voice
scream
hear
voice

151
ear whisper
said
buzz
said
buzz
hear
honked
whispered sang
quiet
voice singing record
voice crooned
song

152
yelling
silence
said
say
horn
whistled
quiet
crackle
silence
honking horn toot

153
said voice
said
said said
said said
said
said

154
said
said
silent
said
said
saying
said
said
said
said say
record play
said
said
said

155
voice cracked
voice
said
said
scream
wailed
shouted
silent
shriekings

156
rings
talk
speak
silent
said
quietly

157
said
whispered
whispered
speak
said cry

158
said

159
said
said
said
said
radio
say
radio

160
sounds
said
said
voices

161
hear
talk
quiet
whispered

162
talking
chimed
said saying
talked
hearing
listening
murmuring loud chattering
whispered
said

163
cry
listened
voice audible
said
said

164
said
hear say
talked
talk
sound speakers
noises
noises noises sounds talking
talk
sounds
ring voice
ringing
sounds
said

165
silence
sound muffled
said

166
said
say
talking
voice sang
sounds
hissing
said voice

167
sang quietly
echoing
chimed
sang

168
whining
sound
whined
voice
sighing
yelping
silence

169
sang
hummed
music
silent
sound
purring
murmur

170
voice spoke
silent
voice said
quiet music
voice
sound
whistling
quiet
silent music
screamed voice
voices chorus

171
quiet
crackled
voices wailed
voices
voices
voices

172
voices
choruses heard
music
singing screaming
voice
aloud
cracked
hissing
silence
voice said

173
shouting
yelling
sound
cried
said
said
cry
said
silence

174
silent
said
soprano
oohed
ahed
voice quiet
said
said
sound hum

175
cried
said
said
said
said

176
radio
ear singing
talking listened
listen
say
yelps
listened
echoed

177
said
said
sound
said
radio ear
said radio
silent silent
hear said
quietly
said

178
said
said
say
said
said
radio listen
listened
said
said

179
said
whispering
whisper
quietly
whispered

180
talk
silent

181
talking
said
crying loudly
laughing
said

182
said
silent