Good art and bad art are both good

“You should only read what is truly good or what is frankly bad.”
–Gertrude Stein in Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast

There’s a lot to learn from good writing, of course. But there’s also a lot to learn from bad writing, too. I find it interesting, that in Hemingway’s memoir of the formative years of his writing career, he includes this idea. 

This is why I’m drawn to classic novels and time-tested authors. It’s hard to know what’s good when every listicle has an affiliate link and every publishing house wants to sell as many copies as possible. If a novel has been loved for 50 or 100 years, there’s something in it that I want to learn. 

What about the work that is “frankly bad?” In comparison to the good work you engage with, there’s a lot to learn from bad pieces as well. The mistakes are clearly on display. Mistakes become easier to define when they’re so obvious. 

Not being too pious to engage with “low-brow” art can teach you a lot about culture and why people like things anyway.