Another day, another parasocially powerful idol disappointing us all. People are so jaded by now, at least I’ve noticed just a little less of the same tired discourse: “My unhealthy stand-in father/brother figure who I have never met or who maybe signed a book for me once would never!” “Anyone who can’t separate the art from the artist is a smooth brain who can’t match a fraction of my completely rational intellect!”

Nobody wants to separate art from the artist when the art and the artist are good. I have never heard someone say “Don’t give credit to George Orwell for his work! He’s just an artist and doesn’t have anything to do with his art.” Probably anyone who’s participated in creative workshops has also met plenty of people who defend their questionable art by claiming they are simply misunderstood as artists. From my perspective, people only separate art from artist when they want an excuse to over-identify with a Hogwarts House while J. K. Rowling is the way that she is.

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