Frank's bio prompts us to to ask ourselves why we seem to…
““Frank's bio prompts us to to ask ourselves why we seem to require of our art an ironic distance from deep convictions or desperate questions, so that contemporary writers have either to make jokes of them or else try to work them in under cover of some formal trick like intertextual quotation or incongruous juxtaposition, sticking the really urgent stuff inside asterisks as part of some multivalent defamiliarization flourish or some shit...Our intelligentsia distrust strong belief, open conviction. Material passion is one thing, but ideological passion disgusts us on some deep level.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote critiques how contemporary writers avoid confronting deep convictions directly, using irony, tricks, and distance instead of sincere engagement.
In simple terms: Writers hide true convictions behind irony and formal tricks.
Key Takeaway
Embrace honest conviction in art.
Themes
art
irony
conviction
authenticity
Mood
skeptical
critical
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
cultural
When to use this quote
- creative writing
- academic discourse
- personal essays
- literary criticism
Key Concepts
postmodernism
self‑censorship
cultural critique
Questions to Reflect On
- How does irony serve or hinder truth?
- When is distance a protective tool?
A Different Perspective
Such avoidance can alienate audiences seeking genuine connection.