[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fMSYNqvtgqO_2OQaBG-tT2TW83npr0S4xNAYFo0oLwT4":3,"$fBxKxrqkZO9J87lwvuE4qkg1xADBVQioJ8YxfzUQCCdk":15},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},11049,"Caitlín R. Kiernan","C",60,null,"caitlin-r-kiernan",[12],{"tag_id":8,"tag_name":13,"tag_count":14},"writing",6,{"quotes":16,"pagination":80},[17,24,30,38,44,50,56,62,68,74],{"id":18,"quote_text":19,"author_id":5,"source_id":14,"has_image":20,"author":21,"source":22,"quote_tag":23,"commentary":9},2908581,"Every month, the US is spending more on the Iraqi war than it took to reach Saturn and Titan. Mass murder is expensive, and good science is relatively cheap.",false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":25,"quote_text":26,"author_id":5,"source_id":14,"has_image":20,"author":27,"source":28,"quote_tag":29,"commentary":9},2908571,"Magick may be no more than the willful invocation of awe.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":31,"quote_text":32,"author_id":5,"source_id":14,"has_image":33,"author":34,"source":35,"quote_tag":36,"commentary":37},2908569,"A book may only be judged for what it is, not what you’d like it to be.",true,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\n\nCaitlín R. Kiernan, a celebrated author known for her dark fantasy and horror novels, likely expressed this sentiment during an era when literary criticism was becoming increasingly prevalent. As a writer who explores the darker aspects of human nature, she may have been reflecting on the challenges of creating work that not only resonates with readers but also withstands scrutiny from critics and scholars. This quote possibly originates from one of her interviews or essays where she discusses the pressure to create work that meets both artistic and commercial expectations.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nThe paradoxical nature of this statement lies in its subtle rebuke of the reader's tendency to impose their own desires onto a work of art, rather than accepting it for what it is. By cautioning against judging a book based on one's preconceived notions or desired outcomes, Kiernan highlights the tension between an author's creative intentions and a reader's subjective interpretation.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nTo apply this mindset today, consider that when evaluating your own work or a colleague's project, strive to understand its inherent value rather than trying to fit it into preconceived categories or expectations. By doing so, you can foster a more open-minded and honest approach to criticism, allowing both creators and critics to engage with the work on its own terms.",{"id":39,"quote_text":40,"author_id":5,"source_id":14,"has_image":20,"author":41,"source":42,"quote_tag":43,"commentary":9},2908559,"Art should never be a slave to commerce, but for all working artists that’s exactly what it must be.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":45,"quote_text":46,"author_id":5,"source_id":14,"has_image":20,"author":47,"source":48,"quote_tag":49,"commentary":9},2908552,"All too infrequently do I encounter a new voice as delightful, compelling, and intelligent as that of Molly Tanzer.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":51,"quote_text":52,"author_id":5,"source_id":14,"has_image":20,"author":53,"source":54,"quote_tag":55,"commentary":9},2908548,"Normal is a bitter pill that we rail against.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":57,"quote_text":58,"author_id":5,"source_id":14,"has_image":20,"author":59,"source":60,"quote_tag":61,"commentary":9},2908545,"You know, it’s a sad and unfortunate state of affairs that you have to live in a world where eight-year-olds refuse to believe in anything that they cannot touch or measure, and anyone who happens to see a thing that is invisible to most people is immediately branded a lunatic.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":63,"quote_text":64,"author_id":5,"source_id":14,"has_image":20,"author":65,"source":66,"quote_tag":67,"commentary":9},2908539,"The writing of a novel or short story or poem or whatever should elevate the audience, not drag the writer down to some level beneath herself. And she – the author – should fight always to prevent that dragging down, especially when the only possible benefit of allowing it to happen is monetary.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":69,"quote_text":70,"author_id":5,"source_id":14,"has_image":20,"author":71,"source":72,"quote_tag":73,"commentary":9},2908533,"I need a world filled with wonder, with awe, with awful things. I couldn’t exist in a world devoid of marvels, even if the marvels are terrible marvels. Even if they frighten me to consider them.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":75,"quote_text":76,"author_id":5,"source_id":14,"has_image":20,"author":77,"source":78,"quote_tag":79,"commentary":9},2908526,"Originality is the most deadly mirage in all of art. You can chase it from now until doomsday, and you’ll only find yourself lost and dying of thirst.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"currentPage":81,"totalPages":14,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":82},1,10]