How Art Lost Its Way

What all those very different figures had in common, aside from the excellence of their prose—and this is what distinguishes their criticism from most of what passes for cultural discourse today—is that their writing was grounded in a direct encounter with the work. They weren’t distracted by moralistic agendas, topical talking points, or biographical chitchat. They started with their own response and built out from there, seeking to grasp how it was that the work had incited it. Which also means that they trusted their own judgment. They weren’t looking over their shoulder; they couldn’t give a damn about the discourse. They didn’t write “takes,” which are not about the work but how you want the other kids to see you. They wrote to please themselves. They wrote to render justice to the art they loved.