# Scholars disagreeing with authors about their works(?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [October 3, 2022, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656 "2022-10-03T21:41:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/101 "2022-10-09T18:33:38Z")
The version I heard is, A Freudian slip is when you mean one thing, but say your mother. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/102 "2022-10-09T20:26:04Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > While “For _sale_ : _baby shoes_ , _never worn_ .” may be an interesting piece of literature, it’s not a book, and it actually _is_ all about how the reader interprets those words. Author: This story is about a couple who got too many pairs of baby shoes from relatives, and needed some money to start saving for their kid’s college fund. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2022, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/103 "2022-10-09T22:58:25Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > > Author: This is a story about my dog dying, and how it made me feel sad. > > Critic: This story is about your unrealized romantic feelings for your mother, and her denying you became a dog dying. > > What a story is _about_ is not necessarily the same thing as what a story was _inspired by_. And if by “story” you mean fiction, a story is not an account of something the author actually felt or experienced, though it may well have its origin in the author’s own experience. > > If the Critic in your little dialogue has some strong evidence for their claim, they may very well be at least partly right, even if the author denies it. But on the other hand I detest the name Jason becaause except for 2, every Jason I have ever met has been a jerk. So if I wrote a book and named the villain Jason I’m sure someone could come up with a whole thing on a villain whose name means healer but the reality is I just hate the name. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/104 "2022-10-16T17:45:32Z")
An interesting example. > **[Interview with Larry Niven — Andrew Liptak](https://www.andrewliptak.com/blog/2014/10/02/interview-with-larry-niven)** > > A while ago, I wrote about Larry Niven and his novel Ringworld for Kirkus Reviews . In doing so, I interviewed Mr. Niven, and he was kind enough to answer my questions about the genesis of the book. Here's our conversation: > Andrew Liptak:... > AL: There’s a critical essay out there that compares _Ringworld_ to _The Wizard of Oz_. Are these comparisons accurate or intended? Was Oz an influence for you? > > LN: That critic convinced me completely. Yes, I loved the _OZ_ books when I was in grade school, but I didn’t realize I was using the plot line. It just felt right. A critic identified an influence on the author that the author was not consciously aware of. ---
**Author:** ![JohnnyEcks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnnyecks/32/18197_2.png) [@JohnnyEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnyEcks)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/105 "2022-10-16T22:42:08Z")
I haven’t been able to find the essay, but I recall Harlan Ellison writing about encountering a theologian who claimed that “ I have no mouth and I must scream “ was about the relationship between man and God. Harlan disagreed vigorously, but the theologian persisted, using some of the arguments discussed above. Harlan the won the argument by pointing out that the theologian had missed the fact that one of the characters was Black; How, asked Harlan, can you judge the subtext when you can’t even master the text? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/106 "2022-10-16T23:17:39Z")
A fair point. If the critic hasn’t gotten the details right, his conclusions can’t be trusted. That being said, I certainly can see why someone might think “I have no mouth and I must scream” has theological content. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/107 "2022-10-16T23:25:29Z")
One of these days I have to read that story- not because of the reputation of the writer or of the story, but so I can write a parody titled I Have No Mouth And I Must Yodel. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2022, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/108 "2022-10-16T23:51:24Z")
Why haven’t you read it yet? It’s only 5809 words long. It’s available online. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/109 "2022-10-17T00:04:47Z")
Largely anhedonia (not the poster but the condition of not feeling pleasure). I have a long list of things (some in real space in dead tree form) I’ve been meaning to read. ETA I still buy books I want. I just never get around to reading them. I’ve wanted a copy of D’Aulaire’s Book Of Norse Myths since literally before I could read. I finally found a copy this year. I never got around to reading it. Depression is a horrible, grey, numb thing. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/110 "2022-10-17T02:09:48Z")
Once you put something out into the world…it no longer solely belongs to you. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/111 "2022-10-17T02:16:08Z")
Clive Barker said the same thing. IIRC He also hates people calling the Hell Priest “Pinhead” but recognizes there’s nothing he can do about it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/112 "2022-10-19T15:27:02Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Author: This story is about a couple who got too many pairs of baby shoes from relatives, and needed some money to start saving for their kid’s college fund. I started writing the story as being about Odysseus returning to Ithaca with a pair of baby shoes that he picked up in Aulis (he expected the war to be basically a milk run, he’d be back to give them to Telemachus while he was still small enough to wear them). I never finished it. I got distracted. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656/113 "2022-10-19T15:35:25Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > he expected the war to be basically a milk run Odysseus was probably the only king who knew exactly what he was getting into. That’s why he tried so hard to weasel out of going along. OTOH, he definitely had enough of an ego to be like, “You know what? Maybe I’m looking at this wrong. I bet I can get this whole thing wrapped up inside of six months.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scholars-disagreeing-with-authors-about-their-works/972656.md?page=5)