Walter Kirn Quotes

The true work of a critic is not to make his hearer believe him, but agree with him.

Critics should be looked at simply as commentators.

I think there are different ways of being rigorous, and I am asking people to be as rigorous in their pleasure as in their criticism.

I don't know what to say about literary critics. I think it's probably best to say nothing.

I will come out with my interpretation. If I'm wrong, fine. It will become part of the debris of history, part of the give and take.

I don't delve too deep into reviews.

Every time you write anything, at least half your readers are going to disagree with you. A big part of sports writing is how you respond to that tension.

A creation needs not only subjectivity, but also objectivity.

There are very few critics who have historical context or authority.

I know all the critics.

Criticism, maybe cynicism, is just rampant in music, in creativity. Everybody has a perception and a set of opinions based on what that piece of music is doing to them internally.

I do wish that reviews were less like book reports. There was an era when reviewers had something to say about a book: when they painted context and drew conclusions. Many reviews these days are little more than plot summary.

I don't do commentaries; I can't listen to them, either.

To me, the fun part of both jobs is to always try to push the discussion and debate forward in some way. The most fun part of being a theater critic for the Times was always to try and champion something that maybe other people didn't like, or that was produced under obscure circumstances or had to fight for its life. And I would say in the column what I try to do is in some ways related in that I'm trying to fight for a point of view. I'm not trying to be a kingmaker in either job, and don't want to be, and shouldn't be.

To a critic, no explanation will do. To a fan, no explanation is needed.

A critic knows more than the author he criticizes, or just as much, or at least somewhat less.

But what is criticism? Criticism is purely destructive; anyone can destroy, but not everyone can build up.

When people disagreed with him he urged them to be objective.

That was excellently observed’, say I, when I read a passage in an author, where his opinion agrees with mine. When we differ, there I pronounce him to be mistaken.

Great critics, of whom there are piteously few, build a home for the truth.

You may be wrong, but you may be right.

Don't take anyone's writing advice too seriously.

Defoe was level and anyone who says otherwise is picking hairs

I think it's incumbent upon me to try to be smart and make good choices and work with good people and work my ass off when I'm working with good people and I have to let everyone have their opinion afterwards. But this is what happens. You make a movie or you're on a show and then you have this experience and everyone tells you what you did. They tell you what you did. That's allowed. That's the experience of being human and subjectivity. That's it. We can only do what we'll do, and I can only do the best I can do.