The 'Art' in 'Artist'

Here are a couple of related articles that I think pair together in investigating the connection between an artist's character and his/her work. One is a pretty entertaining article about authors' drinking habits and what happens when they try to sober up, and the other is (ostensibly) about Budd Shulberg, the iconic screenwriter and director of "On the Waterfront" who died just last week, and who apparently named names for the House's Un-American Activities Committee back in the '60s.

Of course tales of authors' and artists' misconduct are legion, and while in some ways that imbues them with a certain enigmatic interest, it can also make us feel guilty sometimes for enjoying their work, particularly when the misconduct in question is ideological. We feel as if we are somehow being compromised, or that our unconsciousnesses are being influenced by sub-moral messages within the work. In the article on Budd Schulberg, the author (Randy Cohen) makes this good point:

"It’s hard to be a good person; it’s hard to produce great work. Most of us accomplish neither. To demand both might be asking more than human beings are capable of. To deprive oneself of great work created by a less-than-great person seems overly fastidious."

I believe I must agree. Check them out.