Dave Wood

Critics of the arts can be truly mean. As an author of several books, I can speak from experience.  When my third book appeared, the editor of the St. Cloud daily made much fun of the undeniable fact that all the essays in my book were the same length, ignoring my warning in the preface that all the essays were required to be that length by the editor of the newspaper in which they first appeared. Every weekly submission had to be the same length.

 The critic blithely continued that my book might sell better if I had followed his novel suggestion: “He should have printed it in a roll, like Northern Tissue, three two-ply squares per essay.”

I recently finished a recent “Minnesota Star Tribune,” which included a summary of the critical reaction to our First Lady’s new movie, “Melania.” I sympathize with how hurt she must feel, for the reviews that rolled out weren’t particularly flattering. The “Manchester Guardian” said the film was comparable to “A medieval tribute to placate the greedy king on his throne.” “Variety” called it “an infomercial of staggering inertia.”  The “Hollywood Reporter” wrote: “To call it a hagiography would be an insult to hagiographies.” Please remember, Mrs. T., what my old friend and critic Tim Foote responded when he discovered the original title Adolf Hitler had given his manuscript for “Mein Kampf,” eventually turned out to be a bestseller.

FOUR AND A HALF YEARS OF STRUGGLE AGANST LIES, STUPIDITY AND COWARDICE

Tim’s response: EVERYONE NEEDS AN EDITOR.

Arts criticism is rife with witty folks like Foote. When I knew Tim, he was an editor at “Smithsonian” magazine and was a pleasant fellow until he got his dander up. Just remember, Mrs. T, such remarks come with the territory. I include a few more for your edification:

The author of “Peter Pan,” Sir James Barrie. “For several days after my first book was published I carried it around in my pocket and took surreptitious peeps at it to make sure the ink had not faded.”

Poet Edward Young had considerable cajones when he took on the bard himself: “Who knows if Shakespeare might not have thought less if he had read more.”

As did his rival Ben Jonson: “Actors often mention that in his writing he never blotted a line.  My answer hath been: “Would he had blotted a thousand.”

Lexicographer Samuel Johnson wrote, “Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.”

Maxwell Perkins, thought by many to be America’s greatest editor, might salve the hurt you may be feeling: “Editors are extremely fallible people, all of them. Don’t put much trust in them.”

I end on one more hopeful note. The Strib article mentioned above also opined that although the prospect of international sales bids are “miniscule,” surveys of viewer response of the film were good in the ratings, especially from elderly folks in Texas and Florida.

P.S. from Ruth Wood: Not everyone agrees with Ben Jonson’s evaluation of Shakespeare’s plays. “Macbeth” is currently running at the Guthrie. It’s a fabulous production according to critic Rohan Preston and overwhelmingly appreciated by a packed house when I went. No one wanted it to be over any sooner than it was!