The reason you do this stuff - comedy, plays, movies - is to be seized by something, to disappear in the service of an idea.
Mike NicholsRead
Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp-post what it feels about dogs.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote compares writers to lamp-posts, suggesting that writers, like lamp-posts, do not concern themselves with the opinions of critics.
Christopher Hampton's quote illustrates the notion that a writer's work should be independent of external criticism, just as a lamp-post is unaffected by the presence of dogs. This analogy highlights the idea that artists often focus on their craft without letting outside opinions influence their creative process, suggesting that critics' views are irrelevant to the true essence of writing.
Themes
WritingCriticsArtIndependenceCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the pressures of literary criticism, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of staying true to one's artistic vision.
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