In an article on Stephen Sinclair's new film, Russian Snark (Peter Calder, "Dilemmas of an artist," New Zealand Herald, June 18, 2011, D19), Calder writes:

"I was interested in the dilemma of the artist," says Sinclair, that what's good for the art may not necessarily be good for the person."

 It spoils little to say that Misha [an experimental film-maker in the movie] decides that it is better to be a good man than a good artist.

It seems like a strange thing to say, I suggest to Sinclair, given that the history of art is littered with people (mainly men) who did not reach the same conclusion.

"I've heard that Nabokov is a really nice person," says Sinclair with a chuckle, "though he's always cited as an exception to the rule. . . . "

Interesting, that "aways."

Brian Boyd