Apparently it all started with a rooster in the village of Stowe, Vermont. He either 1) did what roosters do, which is to crow early in the morning (4:00 a.m. to be precise), an act that is part and parcel of rural Vermont life and therefore to be expected, if not absolutely adored, or 2) he was a spectacularly bad neighbor who disturbed the peace—especially the sleep—of nearby Stowe residents. Pick a side. You’ll likely find company in either choice, and plenty of well, . . . noise in the debate over the issue.
The Quietest Year explores noise, and noise pollution, not in the decibel-laden streets of New York City, but rather, here in our own bucolic state of Vermont. An early review of the film begins:
What if one of the major issues our societies are facing today was . . . noise? The question may seem out of place, incongruous, even funny, and the opening moments of the documentary feature film The Quietest Year play with this juxtaposition to engage us in a fascinating investigation that is both local and personal, yet resonates far beyond, helping us understand the vital importance of this topic with its multiple ramifications.—Mehdi Balamissa
This week sees the virtual U.S premiere of the film. How to view it? You buy a ticket here, and then you can watch it online at anytime from April 24 (International Noise Awareness Day) to 30. (Haven’t yet seen it myself but plan to.) Regardless of where you may stand on the issue of “noise,” you gotta love the Grant Wood-inspired graphic of the film’s trailer, above.
Noise may be having a moment. A recent article in the New Yorker, (What Is Noise?, April 22 and 29) gives it the in-depth New Yorker treatment, beginning with this observation on the meaning of noise:
Its meanings run the gamut, from the negative to the positive. . . The negative seems to lie at the root: etymologists trace the word to “nuisance” and “nausea.” Noise is what drives us mad.
Or, as someone in The Quietest Year claims, “It goes right through ya.”
(News article about the 2019 rooster controversy is available here.)
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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.