But I don't expect to solve these things, just confront them in a helpless way. But I stick by my helplessness, and I don't try to get away from it. I'm not satisfied with anything that's going on right now. Recently, you were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Literary Criticism. Please address the role of the literary critic in our society.
Critics always talk as if they understand works perfectly and they can always criticize the perfect.
But, in point of fact, they don't. They make remarks that never come close to what a work of art is about. No critic ever knows as much about a work of art as another artist. I don't claim anything like that. Roger Bishop is Contributing Editor to this publication.