“The proper function of the critic is to save the tale from the artist who created it.”

“Never trust the teller, trust the tale. The proper function of a critic is to save the tale from the artist who created it.”

“The artist usually sets out -- or used to -- to point a moral and adorn a tale. The tale, however, points the other way, as a rule. Two blankly opposing morals, the artist's and the tale's. Never trust the artist. Trust the tale. The proper functions of a critic is to save the tale from the artist who created it.”

“The true function of art is to criticize, embellish and edit nature… the artist is a sort of impassioned proof-reader, blue penciling the bad spelling of God.”

“Two forces create eternity – a fairy tale and a dream from the fairy tale.”

“A writer writes with his genius; an artist paints with hers; everyone who creates operates from this sacramental center.”