--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's one good kind of writer - a dead…" description: "\"There's one good kind of writer - a dead one.\" — James T. Farrell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/631/james-t-farrell-27467_dead_there-s-one-good-kind-of-writer-a-dead-o_707305.jpg" --- # There's one good kind of writer - a dead one. ![“There's one good kind of writer - a dead one.” quote by James T. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/631/james-t-farrell-27467_dead_there-s-one-good-kind-of-writer-a-dead-o_707305.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/631/james-t-farrell-27467_dead_there-s-one-good-kind-of-writer-a-dead-o_707305.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/631/james-t-farrell-27467_dead_there-s-one-good-kind-of-writer-a-dead-o_707305.jpg) > “There's one good kind of writer - a dead one.” [James T. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-farrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A writer who dies can be praised without fear of future work contradicting their reputation. **In simple terms:** Dead writers avoid criticism of new work. Key Takeaway Value legacy, not future output. Themes legacy criticism reputation Mood reflective critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - publishing decisions - literary studies - author reputation management Key Concepts posthumous fame literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - Should we judge a writer by their life or their work? - Does death change the meaning of their words? A Different Perspective Dead writers may still be misinterpreted or mythologized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Without curiosity a writer is dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-tillman/without-curiosity-a-writer-is-dead/) [Lynne Tillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-tillman/) > [“The only good writer was a dead writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/the-only-good-writer-was-a-dead-writer/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Good was above all kind; it was to be gentle. It was to waste nothing. It was to paint, to read, to study, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/good-was-above-all-kind-it-was-to-be-gentle-it-was-to-waste-nothing/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [“There's more to sex, the really good kind, than orgasms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-rocha/there-s-more-to-sex-the-really-good-kind-than-orgasms/) [Kit Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-rocha/) > [No matter how good or kind you are, you're gonna be a bad person in the eyes of some people once you tell the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seiki-rowins-bie/no-matter-how-good-or-kind-you-are-you-re-gonna-be-a-bad-person-in/) [Seiki Rowins Bie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seiki-rowins-bie/) > [I would like to believe that most people, regardless of gender, are good and kind. The good men in my stories are the rule.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/i-would-like-to-believe-that-most-people-regardless-of-gender-are/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [It is not the same thing to be good and to be kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/it-is-not-the-same-thing-to-be-good-and-to-be-kind/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I want pizza so bad right now. The good kind of pizza though not the bad kind. The good kind is so much better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-paul/i-want-pizza-so-bad-right-now-the-good-kind-of-pizza-though-not-the/) [Aaron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-paul/) > [In too deep with someone I had no business being in with. Not even in the good kind of way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-too-deep-with-someone-i-had-no-business-being-in-with-not-even-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To be kind is good. 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Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-farrell/) > [Life was hard on mothers; but then, they just didn't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-farrell/life-was-hard-on-mothers-but-then-they-just-didn-t-understand/) [James T. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-farrell/) > [“So long, Lee. Give our regards to the Kaiser. And tell him there's a few boys on 58th Street who'll throw a party for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-farrell/so-long-lee-give-our-regards-to-the-kaiser-and-tell-him-there-s-a-few/) [James T. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-farrell/) > [In New Haven, Conn., when I was growing up, there were two sorts of Irish. There were the "drugstore cowboy" micks, who hung around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-farrell/in-new-haven-conn-when-i-was-growing-up-there-were-two-sorts-of-irish/) [James T. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-farrell/) [Explore all 20 James T. Farrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-farrell/) ## More Dead quotes > [I'm going to stay on stage until I drop dead. Then I'm going to have myself stuffed, like Trigger, and I'm going to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-m-going-to-stay-on-stage-until-i-drop-dead-then-i-m-going-to-have/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [I can't be a legend yet. I'm not dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-can-t-be-a-legend-yet-i-m-not-dead/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [It's a really dark, emotionally wrenching world that we've created on 'The Walking Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-holden/it-s-a-really-dark-emotionally-wrenching-world-that-we-ve-created-on/) [Laurie Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-holden/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“I’m just–” She wanted to say “not in the mood,” but that was not only a cliché but a vast understatement. She was dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-mcintosh/i-m-just-she-wanted-to-say-not-in-the-mood-but-that-was-not-only-a/) [Will McIntosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-mcintosh/) > [Library: A place where the dead lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/library-a-place-where-the-dead-lie/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [When we dead awaken ... we see that we have never lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/when-we-dead-awaken-we-see-that-we-have-never-lived/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Rather be dead than cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/rather-be-dead-than-cool/) [Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/) > [He was obviously dead. But since he was a vampire that wasn't as hopless a thing as it might have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/he-was-obviously-dead-but-since-he-was-a-vampire-that-wasn-t-as/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Ireland starts for me with the end of 'The Dead,' which my father read to me from his desk in his basement office in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/ireland-starts-for-me-with-the-end-of-the-dead-which-my-father-read/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’ – Ben Franklin,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/three-may-keep-a-secret-if-two-of-them-are-dead-ben-franklin/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I intend to do the Penn & Teller show until they pry my cheesy magic wand from my cold dead fingers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-intend-to-do-the-penn-teller-show-until-they-pry-my-cheesy-magic/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > ['Misery' left a lasting mark on me. When I die, it will be 'Kathy 'Misery' Bates Is Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bates/misery-left-a-lasting-mark-on-me-when-i-die-it-will-be-kathy-misery/) [Kathy Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bates/) > [The only good Indian is a dead Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-tecumseh-sherman/the-only-good-indian-is-a-dead-indian/) [William Tecumseh Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-tecumseh-sherman/) Browse all 3,376 Dead quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's one good kind of writer - a dead one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James T. 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