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I no longer gave a sick dog's drop for the wisdom, the reliability and the authority of the public's literary mind, those creeps and old ladies of vested reviewing.
Norman Mailer
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote expresses skepticism towards public opinion and literary criticism.

Norman Mailer conveys a strong disdain for the authority and judgment of literary critics and the general public's taste in literature. He views them as uninformed and untrustworthy, suggesting that he values personal insight and artistry over popular or established opinions.

Themes

Public OpinionLiterary CriticismSkepticismIntellectArtistry

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about the value of artistic expression versus popular opinion, this quote could be used to emphasize the importance of individual judgment.

More from Norman Mailer

Crude thoughts and fierce forces are my state. I do not know who I am. Nor what I was. I cannot hear a sound. Pain is near that will be like no pain felt before.
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There's nothing glorious about being a professional. . . . Professionalism probably comes down to being able to work on a bad day.
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At bottom, I mean profoundly at bottom, the FBI has nothing to do with Communism, it has nothing to do with catching criminals, it has nothing to do with the Mafia, the syndicate, it has nothing to do with trust-busting, it has nothing to do with interstate commerce, it has nothing to do with anything but serving as a church for the mediocre. A high church for the true mediocre.
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Alimony is the curse of the writing class.
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