A
reader who wishes to remain anonymous writes:
“You write
criticism for a living. Turn the tables
for a minute. Look in the mirror. How do you like to see
your work criticized?”
Anonymous,
that’s a very intriguing question.
All
artists and creators -- even critics --
tend to be thin-skinned, to be truthful.
Criticism can hurt.
And
though I write film criticism for a living as you correctly note, I prefer to
term my approach “art appreciation” because -- unless I am deluding myself -- I
tend to write from an affirmative and appreciative standpoint.
“Art
appreciation,” however, is still, in the final analysis, a euphemism for “criticism,”
and hell, nobody likes to be criticized.
However, I have found over the years, especially since the Internet
arrived, that how I receive and interpret criticism depends largely on how I am criticized.
Destructive
criticism is snarky and mean-spirited, and it absolutely hurts to be the target
of a hit piece, one designed solely to rip you apart.
Constructive
criticism, on the contrary, is a wonderful gift to artists, in my opinion. Years ago -- and forgive me if I have written
about this before -- I read a very detailed, very finely-written negative
review of one my books. It was a “thumbs
down” every step of the way. The author
didn’t like my book. At all.
But
the author wrote a piece that refrained from personal nastiness and snark. The review developed strong, substantive
points. That’s what good criticism is,
or at least what it can be in the right hands.
It would be incredibly hypocritical for me to write art appreciation
(er, film criticism...) every day and then turn around and whine when others
review my work according to their own aesthetic ethos.
I
have never forgotten that negative review of my book, because it made me
reconsider some aspects of my writing style, namely an apparent over-reliance
on the passive voice. I don’t happen to
think passive voice is as bad as many grammarians seem to, but at least now I
am always conscious of how and when I deploy it.
So,
to answer your question: I love to receive good reviews of my writing,
naturally!
But
I also understand I can’t please all readers, all the time, and that, sometimes, I miss the boat. In those
cases, I am eternally grateful for measured, smart, constructive
criticism.
In the final analysis, you don't get to pick your critics. It hasn't always been easy for me to acknowledge or deal with that fact, but I'm getting there.
In the final analysis, you don't get to pick your critics. It hasn't always been easy for me to acknowledge or deal with that fact, but I'm getting there.
Don’t
forget to e-mail your questions at Muirbusiness@yahoo.com
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