--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [Michael] Chabon is arguing in favor of…" description: "\"[Michael] Chabon is arguing in favor of what is at the same time an old-fashioned and very forward-thinking opening up - of taking off the class associ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/emily-barton-18422_arguing_michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-wh_447279.jpg" --- # \[Michael\] Chabon is arguing in favor of what is at the… ![“[Michael] Chabon is arguing in favor of what is at the same time an old-fashioned and very forward-thinking opening up - of taking off the class associations with those labels, because we grew up, or I certainly grew up, feeling that, "Oh, there's literary fiction, and beneath that, there's these…” quote by Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/emily-barton-18422_arguing_michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-wh_447279.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/emily-barton-18422_arguing_michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-wh_447279.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/emily-barton-18422_arguing_michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-wh_447279.jpg) > “\[Michael\] Chabon is arguing in favor of what is at the same time an old-fashioned and very forward-thinking opening up - of taking off the class associations with those labels, because we grew up, or I certainly grew up, feeling that, "Oh, there's literary fiction, and beneath that, there's these other things." He's actually saying that they're all of equal merit, and in many cases, that work in the genres, or work that draws from the genres is more entertaining for readers, since it is our job to entertain people.” [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author argues that genre labels limit perception; removing them treats all literary forms as equally valuable and often more entertaining. **In simple terms:** Genre labels limit perception; treat all equally. Key Takeaway Read beyond genre boundaries. Themes literature genre equality Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - book clubs - library recommendations - writing workshops Key Concepts genre bias literary hierarchy reader expectations Questions to Reflect On - Do you judge books by their genre? - How might genre‑free reading expand your horizons? A Different Perspective Genres can help readers find preferences, so eliminating them may confuse some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arguing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing/) [Association](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/association/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Chabon Arguing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chabon-arguing-3911099/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Draws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draws/) [Draws Genres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draws-genres-3911101/) [Entertaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertaining/) [Equal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal/) [Favors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favors/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Forward thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forward-thinking/) [Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) [Genre is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre-is/) [Genres Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genres-work-3911100/) [Grew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew/) [Grew up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew-up/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Literary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary/) [Literary fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-fiction/) [Merit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merit/) [Old fashioned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-fashioned/) [Opening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opening/) [Opening up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opening-up/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I get very frustrated by this term 'genre exercise.' I mean, what exactly is that? Genre is not really relevant when you are writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/i-get-very-frustrated-by-this-term-genre-exercise-i-mean-what-exactly/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [One of the wonderful things about making a film of any genre is that you have dialogue. You can take up a position. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/one-of-the-wonderful-things-about-making-a-film-of-any-genre-is-that/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I started as a black-and-white teenage photographer, and I'm still there decades after. In some ways, the genre is almost gone. I am thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedi-slimane/i-started-as-a-black-and-white-teenage-photographer-and-i-m-still/) [Hedi Slimane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedi-slimane/) > [My feeling about fiction, regardless of the genre, is that it is meant to be a representation of life. I want my books to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-laymon/my-feeling-about-fiction-regardless-of-the-genre-is-that-it-is-meant/) [Richard Laymon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-laymon/) > [The actors are different, although I didn't set out to be different. My inspiration came from people like Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence and Will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/the-actors-are-different-although-i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-different-my/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [One of the problems of this genre is that there are cliches everywhere, and you've got to be careful and watch out. Our rule…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-hodges/one-of-the-problems-of-this-genre-is-that-there-are-cliches/) [Adrian Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-hodges/) > [In a weird way, riffing on genres is kind of a reaction to formula. When you watch so much of the programmers and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/in-a-weird-way-riffing-on-genres-is-kind-of-a-reaction-to-formula/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [I could not flourish in the Hollywood system because the first thing spoken about is "What genre is it?" and "Who's it for?" It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-mcpherson/i-could-not-flourish-in-the-hollywood-system-because-the-first-thing/) [Conor McPherson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-mcpherson/) > [Genre is a useful concept only when used not evaluatively but descriptively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/genre-is-a-useful-concept-only-when-used-not-evaluatively-but/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Parodies are hard to do well, as is shown by the mediocrity of so many recent attempts. No matter how ripe a genre is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/parodies-are-hard-to-do-well-as-is-shown-by-the-mediocrity-of-so-many/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [I describe me sound as international: reggae, pop, rap, R&B all in one. I think I have my own style. I can't really even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-kingston/i-describe-me-sound-as-international-reggae-pop-rap-r-b-all-in-one-i/) [Sean Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-kingston/) > [Being gone for so long and coming back into the game, I'm the type of person to reinvent myself pretty often and I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-sunshine/being-gone-for-so-long-and-coming-back-into-the-game-i-m-the-type-of/) [Tony Sunshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-sunshine/) > [There was a time when I first started that there was such a thing called 'a woman's film' and there were certain scripts that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/there-was-a-time-when-i-first-started-that-there-was-such-a-thing/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) > [Music is there for us to explore. To intentionally limit yourself to one, two, or three genres is limitation at its worst. Music is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-anselmo/music-is-there-for-us-to-explore-to-intentionally-limit-yourself-to/) [Phil Anselmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-anselmo/) > [No, the horror genre is not my first love. I don't run to the theater to see horror films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-righetti/no-the-horror-genre-is-not-my-first-love-i-don-t-run-to-the-theater/) [Amanda Righetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-righetti/) ## More by Emily Barton > [Maybe one of the reasons that I don't ever experience myself as having writer's block is I don't feel that I need to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/maybe-one-of-the-reasons-that-i-don-t-ever-experience-myself-as/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [ We \[me and husband \] had been learning about the Khazars, and I had read Michael Chabon's novel \[Gentlemen of the Road\] the year… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/we-me-and-husband-had-been-learning-about-the-khazars-and-i-had-read/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [A good book is a good book, and there are a lot of different ways to approach writing or reading one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/a-good-book-is-a-good-book-and-there-are-a-lot-of-different-ways-to/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [I think that novels are one of the best means that we have to communicate both with the past and with the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/i-think-that-novels-are-one-of-the-best-means-that-we-have-to/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [Teaching and writing, really, they support and nourish each other, and they foster good thinking. Because when you show up in the classroom, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/teaching-and-writing-really-they-support-and-nourish-each-other-and/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [A novel is a way to rethink and rewrite and re-envision the past, and also a way to speak to people who haven't been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/a-novel-is-a-way-to-rethink-and-rewrite-and-re-envision-the-past-and/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [ I'm not for it \[Brookland and The Testament of Yves Gundron \], I'm not against it, I'm just interested in it and how it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/i-m-not-for-it-brookland-and-the-testament-of-yves-gundron-i-m-not/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [Nobody thinks that there were never mechanical horses in the world. Everybody knows that there aren't really golems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/nobody-thinks-that-there-were-never-mechanical-horses-in-the-world/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [I do think that the idea of writer's block can be very self-defeating for most writers because it's taking a lot of things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/i-do-think-that-the-idea-of-writer-s-block-can-be-very-self-defeating/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [If I don't write every day for one week or even, frankly, one year, I don't really think too much about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/if-i-don-t-write-every-day-for-one-week-or-even-frankly-one-year-i/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [It's very difficult, I think for most writers, to carve out the time and the kind of imaginative space to do the writing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/it-s-very-difficult-i-think-for-most-writers-to-carve-out-the-time/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [I feel that there is an alternate ending that leaps off too far into fantasy and there is an alternate ending that leaps off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/i-feel-that-there-is-an-alternate-ending-that-leaps-off-too-far-into/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [It would have been a hard year if I'd spent it berating myself for not working on the book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/it-would-have-been-a-hard-year-if-i-d-spent-it-berating-myself-for/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [There are as many different ways to write a novel as there are varieties of human consciousness, so I am totally delighted if people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/there-are-as-many-different-ways-to-write-a-novel-as-there-are/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) > [Tom, my husband, who converted to Judaism when we got married, and as a consequence, we were learning about historical conversions to Judaism. Really,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/tom-my-husband-who-converted-to-judaism-when-we-got-married-and-as-a/) [Emily Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) [Explore all 35 Emily Barton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/) ## More Arguing quotes > [I do wish you wouldn't argue with me when I'm knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/i-do-wish-you-wouldn-t-argue-with-me-when-i-m-knitting/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Men are fair, and they have learned not to personalize anger - they can disagree with you and argue to the bone, but afterward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/men-are-fair-and-they-have-learned-not-to-personalize-anger-they-can/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/when-eud-monidas-heard-a-philosopher-arguing-that-only-a-wise-man-can/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Fasting is required, staying away from fighting and arguing and bombing of masjids is still going on. Hatred is still manifested between Sunni and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/fasting-is-required-staying-away-from-fighting-and-arguing-and/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [The problem for the Left, however, is that the moment it stops painting the Right as vile, it has to argue the issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-problem-for-the-left-however-is-that-the-moment-it-stops-painting/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [You can argue that the Terminator movies reboot their world each time they go back in time, but that doesn't negate the value of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hayter/you-can-argue-that-the-terminator-movies-reboot-their-world-each-time/) [David Hayter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hayter/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I'm a very serious person, but I don't take myself very seriously and I would rather laugh all day than argue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-m-a-very-serious-person-but-i-don-t-take-myself-very-seriously-and/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [These eyes, tho' clear To outward view of blemish or of spot, Bereft of light, their seeing have forgot, Nor to their idle orbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/these-eyes-tho-clear-to-outward-view-of-blemish-or-of-spot-bereft-of/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [There's crucial distinction that has to be drawn between the Shari'a, which is this hugely expansive vision of cosmic order that I've been describing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadakat-kadri/there-s-crucial-distinction-that-has-to-be-drawn-between-the-shari-a/) [Sadakat Kadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadakat-kadri/) > [Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/only-fools-argue-whether-to-eat-meat-or-not-they-don-t-understand/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [The surest sign that you haven't any sense is to argue with one who hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-surest-sign-that-you-haven-t-any-sense-is-to-argue-with-one-who/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) [Browse all 1,908 Arguing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "[Michael] Chabon is arguing in favor of what is at the same time an old-fashioned and very forward-thinking opening up - of taking off the class associations with those labels, because we grew up, or I certainly grew up, feeling that, \"Oh, there's literary fiction, and beneath that, there's these other things.\" He's actually saying that they're all of equal merit, and in many cases, that work in the genres, or work that draws from the genres is more entertaining for readers, since it is our job to entertain people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emily Barton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-what-is-at-the-same-time-an-old/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arguing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-what-is-at-the-same-time-an-old/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/emily-barton-18422_arguing_michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-wh_447279.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/emily-barton-18422_arguing_michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-wh_447279.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/049/emily-barton-18422_arguing_michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-wh_447279.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[Michael] Chabon is arguing in favor of what is at the same time an old-fashioned and very forward-thinking…” — Emily Barton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Emily Barton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-barton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "[Michael] Chabon is arguing in favor...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-what-is-at-the-same-time-an-old/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-barton/michael-chabon-is-arguing-in-favor-of-what-is-at-the-same-time-an-old/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```