Books Quote by Lev Grossman
““Up until relatively recently, creating original characters from scratch wasn't a major part of an author's job description. When Virgil wrote The Aeneid, he didn't invent Aeneas; Aeneas was a minor character in Homer's Odyssey whose unauthorized further adventures Virgil decided to chronicle. Shakespeare didn't invent Hamlet and King Lear; he plucked them from historical and literary sources. Writers weren't the originators of the stories they told; they were just the temporary curators of them. Real creation was something the gods did. All that has changed. Today the way we think of creativity is dominated by Romantic notions of individual genius and originality, and late-capitalist concepts of intellectual property, under which artists are businesspeople whose creations are the commodities they have for sale.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Future of Creativity, The New Yorker, 2023
The quote argues that modern ideas of originality are a recent cultural shift, replacing older practices where writers borrowed and curated existing myths and characters.
In simple terms: Modern creativity is seen as individual genius, but historically it was about reworking shared stories.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the collaborative roots of storytelling.
Themes
creativity
authorship
history
culture
economics
Mood
reflective
critical
thoughtful
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- teaching literature
- creative brainstorming
- copyright discussions
- media analysis
Key Concepts
Romanticism
intellectual property
mythology
literary adaptation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does acknowledging past borrowing affect your own creative confidence?
- What balance should be struck between originality and tradition?
A Different Perspective
It overlooks the value of truly novel invention and may underplay the role of personal innovation.
