Quote

People shouldn't trust artists and they shouldn't trust art. Part of the fun of art is that it invites you to interpret it.

The critic has to educate the public; the artist has to educate the critic.

There's a unique bond of trust between readers and authors that I don't believe exists in any other art form; as a reader, I trust a novelist to give me his or her best effort, however flawed.

I don't listen to what art critics say. I don't know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is.

Artists teach critics what to think. Critics repeat what the artists teach them.

A true critic ought to dwell upon excellencies rather than imperfections, to discover the concealed beauties of a writer, and communicate to the world such things as are worth their observation.

When there's writing that you really trust, it's very freeing as an artist.

A true artist is expected to be all that is noble-minded, and this is not altogether a mistake; on the other hand, however, in what a mean way are critics allowed to pounce upon us.

Critics have a job to do. I understand that. It's not just to criticize. They're trying to interpret art for the public.

Critics, at least generally, want to regard works of fiction as independent entities, whose virtues and failures must be reckoned apart from the circumstances of their creation, and even apart from the intentions of their creator.