Separation of Book & Author

Today I'm discussing the separation between book and author--or art and artist, on a broader scope. Is it better to associate a book and an author together, or should a book be regarded as separate from the person who created it?
Topic inspired by Hank's video - • VEDA #4 - Orson Scott ...
My twitter - / kat_tastic
My goodreads - / katytastic

[@JacquieVlogsHere]

it's definitely a tricky line to draw. If I don't like the author as a person, I might still read their book, but I won't BUY it. I guess that way I can still appreciate their art without feeling like I'm monetarily contributing to a person who I think is awful.

[@thesunwentred]

Very interesting topic! I don't have any intelligent answers or thoughts but I enjoyed hearing the different sides. You do a really good job of always presenting a topic and trying to see if from every angle! I think that authors are expected to do a LOT more these days. In a perfect world an author has a website, twitter, facebook, goodreads, tumblr, youtube, pinterest, linked-in, google plus, etc all under their name all up to date all witty and positive! Whew that is a TON of work + pressure!

[@arbaaz9992]

I do believe the artist can and should be seperated. I cannot begin to tell how much i missed because i used to think that if an artist is a bad person i shouldn’t read, or listen, or watch their art. To me, as of now, it’s kind of sad that people do that.

[@firelight09]

I think in acting and writing there are a lot of people who think "your character says/does this, and that means you must too" and I hate that. The writer/actor is playing a part because that is their craft. But then again, there are some who want to draw attention to a minority of the like and it can be harder to separate.

[@littlespider9]

These are some seriously interesting questions! I personally never look up authors before reading their books, probably out of fear of my opinion of them coloring my opinion of their book (like you said). Sometimes I do look them up after, and it's always weird to match the amazing world I've been reading about to an actual human being.

[@ILovePartiesAndTwins]

OMG. This is how I feel about everything in life. I don't take the time to know authors, actors, singers, etc. It ruins it for me, and I don't want that to affect my opinion on what they really want people to know them for; what they put out to the world to see, to appreciate. I full-heartedly agree.

[@AmirasBookReviews]

Everything you said is so true! The way that authors portray themselves on social media definitely makes a difference about how readers feel about the books that they write. Well, for me at least. I try not to let it get in the way, though. Interesting discussion! :)

[@TheInBooks]

That happened with me when i discovered the Vlogbrothers and i fell in love with John Green! so i went out and got TFIOS thankfully i LOVED the book so in that case it was worth it to see John Green be so crazy on KZbin, it also helped that Jonh thinks and talks a lot like Hazle an Agustus.

[@sarahthesusan5432]

I'm just getting into writing but I make a very intentional choice to keep my beliefs out of my work. Yes I am against swearing, yes I am against drinking and sex before mirage. But that stuff goes on in the real world and no matter what my belief, I cant deny that. I want my book to be relatable to all of my readers, not just me. These characters my come from my head, but they are not me. They're not my perfect little image of what it should be. They're meant to be real, they're meant to have flaws. I may not like or agree with what my characters do, but it happens.

[@naatihamda1781]

I have to admit that when it comes to John Green and his books, I have them intertwined. Because I have love John Green for so many years, I feel inclined to ALWAYS love his books. However, even if I never found John Green on KZbin so long ago, I think I would still have loved his books. I think it's okay to intertwine the book and author, as it does make your experience reading much better. If your favorite author writes a book that's not so good, you should be able to acknowledge it, though

[@2BOLD4U]

I remember I was on Goodreads one day, and I clicked a random book. I read what the book was about and was going to pick it up, but then I read the comments and the author was calling people dumb and other names, when they wrote a bad comment about the book. Seeing how that author reacted to negative comments didn't want me to read the book.

[@pianobooks42]

Usually I read the book and then look up interviews with the writer if I liked it -to get inspiration for my own writing and to see their thought process- but there have also been times that I find an author online (i.e. Jackson Pearce, John Green) then read their books. At first, I think of the author, then I get emersed in the story and only remember them if something they talked about happeneing happens (Like seeing the green mixing bowls in Sisters Red that she talked about in a video)

[@eman1272]

As an author, I would like to think that all I have to do is write my books, publish them, and then the number of sales will reflect how good the book is. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. Nowadays, authors have to do their own marketing. Most of which is done through social media. The more social media you do, the more of you is out there. People do not want to buy a book without a real person behind it. People really should separate the art from the artist, but that is an individual thing. All authors can do is watch their conduct and hope for the best.

[@stripedballetflats]

As much as I want to separate author and book- I can't. I have no tolerance for authors who are bigots or behave like children when it comes to negative reviews. I'm more inclined to buy a book if an author replies to their fans but it doesn't influence whether or not I'll like the book.

[@yuujinchounonaka]

I think for me, I try not to read into an author's life before picking up a book by them. I usually don't even read the mini biographies in the books before reading the book. If however I liked the book and return for more books by the same author, I will likely become interested in what kind of person writes the books. You make some really good points, especially how one "bad" impression can ruin the image for a new reader completely.

[@moonireads]

Oh and as for the final question? I think artist and art can't be separated ever, even before the internet was that not possible (Dalí, anyone? Hitler, Marx, Tolkien... to name a few) and it's up to the reader to remember that artist does not always equal art. Artist are a sum of things and some of those things we won't like but if you can't separate the artist from the art unless it's something you feel muuuuch too strongly about? then you're not very good at appreciating art.

[@DanikaLeighEllis]

I definitely think there's an inbetween. I loved Ender's Game, but I don't like Orson Scott Card at all. For me, that means buying his books used, because honestly, I don't want to give him any money. But if I love an author's online presence or politics or whatever, I'm much more like to want to buy the book new to support them, especially if they're a fairly unknown author. So how much I like the author doesn't really reflect whether I'll like the book, but it does affect my purchasing.

[@pnklmnade5]

My sister loved Eragon and wanted me to read the series. I was iffy on reading these books, then I found an article in a magazine about the author Christopher Paolini. I was super turned off with the author and his family and never picked up the books.

[@My.Curiosities]

It's how I discovered Maureen Johnson, through her twitter account; and because I love her humour, and funnyness, and picked up her books and loved them :)

[@CatReads]

I rarely check out the author out before I read the book. If I like their book, I may check them out, but I only go to their official website or their goodreads page. I think that I have more respect for those who keep their private lives separate from their public life because it tends to be that when that happens people can turn mean towards them. Or it just makes them have a harder time to keep it separate. So I try to keep my nose out of their personal life/sites. I don't think judging

[@MrEastRyder]

Writers should not be invisible I'm glad social media allows readers to connect with their favorite writers

[@benabooks5082]

I expect integrity from writers. I expect their work to reflect their perspectives on life, their core values. If a writer in real life is against such things as drinking, swearing, violence, I expect those things (if they are depicted) to be depicted in a negative light. I try to judge reading material not by the author, but for it's own merit. That being said, if the the author is just reprehensible I wouldn't want to fund their work.

[@CatReads]

book based off the author's lifestyle/personality/beliefs is exactly something right or good, I know though that if you tend to go looking for that author's life, etc. you'll be turned either against or for that person's work, which is another reason why I won't look at their personal lives and neither will I judge their work by that. I may not agree with their views, but that doesn't mean they aren't good writers or have something great to put out there.

[@Malinka10101]

i think that the art and the artist are enter-twined, you cannot separate them, but the author should not advertise his life or personality or tweet about his day to his fans, he should tell that to his family and let the fans believe in the magic of his art

[@xdelice]

i do however agree that both are inseparable and makes the artist unique and the work unique to him! logical me fights emotional me on this one so i try to be objective in general. 95% of the times logical wins.

[@MadDogRebecca]

I feel that Artist & Art/ Actor & Character/ Author & Book are thought of seperately because of the fact that you may like one thing by an author/ actor/ artist but it doesn't mean that you will like everything by that person. Not only that but sometimes the work is better then who the person is, or the person is better than the work shown. Does any of this make sense or is it just me?

[@hermioneseda]

i feel like it sorta has a connection with me because i f i like an author online then i will be more likely to buy thier books, i mean i thought John Green was a brilliant and hilarious person before reading his books and i loved his books immensely however if he wasnt a good or nice person i still would have liked his books id have just been more reluctant to read them. For instance even if Stephsnie Mayer writes a masterpiece (unlikely lol) i will probably be unlikely to read it anytime soon

[@hellsbloodyrose]

The thing is that Scott Card's reason that Ender is being discriminated isn't even original. Another book with a law against extra kids is Shadow Children which is allot better in my opinion.

[@pucktweety]

True, and I never said it wasn't. I just feel different between 'works of art' and 'art'

[@aabatteryful]

I know people who dislike all of John Green's books because they feel that all of his characters sound and act like little John Greens. Actually, i can kind of see where they're coming from (since most of the characters are witty and smart), but i wouldn't outright dislike a book because of that.

[@bekhanhnguyen]

I never thought of this before... Great video! ^_^

[@moonireads]

Another example I thought of! Jackson Pollock = Alcoholic crazy prick. His art = melts my heart. Robert Patterson = seems like a cool dude, His acting = oh gods I wish I could gauge out my eyes. Naomi Watts = crazy... Her modelling = delicious. John Galliano = I think he should just stay quiet while drunk, His designs = AMAZING. People need to learn to separate people from creation some times.

[@maxnfang1]

I love Orson Scott Card's books too

[@elzbietahapsburska3711]

My answer will be a complete cop-out: I believe its a mix of both. In the case of books, the author pours some amount of themselves into the book, but the book does not 1) reflect everything about an author and 2) reflect how the author will grow and change in the future. For example, an author who gets married to the man of their dreams might write a story with references to the beauty of love and joy of marriage, but five years later, after a bitter divorce, those undertones and references will be of a different sort entirely. Furthermore, truly good authors know how to distance themselves from their characters and stories. Finally, readers can often pick up on something within a book that the author had put in there unintentionally. A book might be much deeper and have many more meanings than the author was thinking of when writing it (Lord of the Rings, for example, was a story influenced by (but not based on) Christianity, Paganism, medieval literature and WWII, but people read it as an environmentalist manifesto or a direct Christian allegory).

[@NinaMazeo]

I think what this topic really comes down to is: Do you think it is fair to assume what you believe to be true is the actual truth? I mean, you have the right to think an author is entwined with its book, but they might not be. You have the right to believe an artist and its art are independent, but that might also be wrong. Do you see? I think the actual problem is that people want to be right, they want their truth to be the only truth and to be confirmed and proven in all possible forms.

[@moonireads]

Orson Scott Card = a kind of annoying prick. Ender's Game (Ender's Shadow and Bean's series in general) = SUPER AWESOME. Stephanie Meyer = I think she's kind of awesome and nice from what I've seen of her, Twilight and The Host = Burn is with fire. Just my thoughts on it all.

[@BambuProductions]

I am a movie geek myself. People in the movie industry are much more in the spotlight because of that a lot of people can separate their personalities from their work. I see/hear comments on how a director or an actor is dick or not likeable every day.Or people saying someone is their favouite actor based on their personality not on their ACTING! Perosnally I'm only interested in their work I don't care if they aren't friendly I don't want them to be my friends I want them to do good movies!

[@maraskywalkeriii]

I just like a book because I like the book. The book determines if I seek the author's online presence. And even then, I prefer to only go to their official website. If I judged Charles Dickens' novels based on his personality, and how he treated his wife and his family specifically, I would never read his books. This would have caused me to miss out on one of the greatest story tellers that ever lived. I love the craft but I am not loving the crafter.

[@craziecreativestuff]

I actually only find the author online after the book (in te social way). I never stumble upon authors before the book if that makes sense

[@thesunwentred]

It bums me out that my three favorite authors are either dead or not on social media. But then again, do I really want to read what Charles Dickens or Anne Bishop had for lunch? Or see instagrams of their Starbucks cups? I would feel more connected to authors that keep things professional and positive but don't fall in to the trap of lame tweets, you know? They could have a private twitter account to share with their friends and family if they are famous enough to be a public figure.

[@TheMaryweather]

If I can know nothing about a authors private life that would be good to me. I just feel that I will learn something that turn me off. I always wonder about authors reviewing books they read they usually do not put ratings or give every book 5 stars. Are authors being honest with their opinions? Author and art need to be separated to me.

[@MandiLynnWrites]

Huh, never thought about this before..

[@noonaemda]

I think I never thought conciously about this, but I guess I separate the artist and the product of the artist just because is easier in my mind.With books, I never been attach to a writer because I only car about the story, once I finish the story I move on and probably the same with singers, musicians, painters, etc. Im a weird person lol

[@xdelice]

ahhh kat this is a difficult one. personally i feel the author is really connected to the book marketing wise and i agree it can do some damage< example i m staring clear of stephanie meyer and never read or bought the host and of course will not see the movie. why?its certainly unjustified but everything around her and twilight has sickened me. the same goes for kirsten stewart, no matter what the context, its definite she angers me.... so sad but true the connection determines my choices.

[@wolfferoni]

I know this was five years ago when Twilight was still a craze but do you still have these feelings?

[@pucktweety]

Unless they outright actively do something hateful (Like Wells using money he gets from book sales to fund hate campaigns), I don't actually care about the authors. I want to read the book, not make a new friend with the person who wrote it. Art for me is different because art is like a reflection of the person and an ugly person can't do great art.

[@csfontaine]

People should not worship authors or anyone else. Books stand alone as a creative act. Book may or may not connect to the person. That's what makes a writer a writer--they make stuff up. Create.

[@NinaMazeo]

That's just not possible. What art means or what being an artist means should not be boxed out and labeled and put in the dictionary. Should not be limited to one thing OR the other, because it can be either or neither, it can be much more and it can be nothing that important at all. Almost a poem, btw ahdhashdahudhasdhada That's what I think about the topic.

[@sadomirth]

I am more inclined to read a book if I can get a glimps into their lives, ect. But in the same token if there book is a.} fan fiction republished or b] whiny ass hats then I am less likely to want to pick their work up. AH- a question I am not sure how to awnser.

[@alter946]

Writing is also a work of art though.

[@88darling88]

Shaline Woodley as MARY JANE?? omg, I'm disgusted, is Spiderman 2 gonna be when they were 12? I read Ender's Game and the 2 following books in its series starting like 11 years ago and had planned to reread and finish the series cause the film's coming out, but I learned recently that Orson Scott Card is against homosexuality and it sucks because that was one of the first books that I ever really loved..I will continue the series, but I can't help my disappointment with the author.

[@Awesomedude7095]

Wow! I am about to write a novel about a cool dude! Dude is my favorite word. lol :)

[@TheAwkwardCupcake]

John Green though is a really cool guy with awesome ass books

[@caitie0410]

Nevermind

[@moonireads]

Uh crazy ideas or not he IS an author, isn't he (be objective for a second...)? I never said I LIKED him or his book just that regardless of the internet he was a well known figure and those that read were probably VERY aware of his public figure. And also he was an INCREDIBLE artist. His paintings are awesome and yes, he was an ass and racist murderer but his paintings are still amazing and he is a published author.

[@moonireads]

He's still an artist. Period.

[@ajallen128]

I just hate Shaleene Woodly (is that how you spell it?)

[@curlyhairedwanderer]

This is true of John Green.

[@caitie0410]

She missed April 5 of vlogs

[@MARIADELASPREGUNTAS]

Do you seriously count Hitler as an artist???? because he wrote a book containing all his crazy ideas???

[@Malinka10101]

i do not care about the author, at all, he can do drugs and be homeless, if the book is good I am buying it and loving it

[@SunriseFireberry]

Welcome to the technological world of the 21st century. It's not better, it's different. To purchase/read/appreciate or not to? Sounds like a Hamlet paraphrase. [A wag would continue this by saying "except that there's all this awful personal dirt about Shakespeare." I'm not going there.]

[@ryanmcgowan21]

Kats eyes look like Dexter Morgans sister

[@jackcoughlan9793]

Annoying author who nonstop promotes his content? James Patterson, anyone?

[@MARIADELASPREGUNTAS]

well in my opinion (as you see I am being really objetive here) I think it's sad that among all the great examples of artists you've chosen Hitler. Because if as you say you can not separate the artist from his work of art (shouting objectivity here!), you may not also be able to separate your likes from your beliefs. But hey there, you separate his dispicable ass from his paintings! congrats! now like or not my response, I won't be following up on this.

[@benaimjacob]

I disliked this video just so there would be a dislike, because it was too pure

[@sleepybaekhyun5826]

She had 0 dislikes?what? You ruined it😂lmao

[@TheSoullessTrenchCoat]

You should un dislike if you like the video than you shouldn't dislike just to have one dislike she earned all her likes.