Category Archives: Herbert (Zbigniew)

Yes, Doubters, Lit Packs a Punch

By Robin Bates | Published: August 30, 2010

Last week a couple of readers questioned, quite rightly, my sympathetic posting of the following quotation by Polish poet and essayist Zbigniew Herbert: History does not know a single example of art or an artist anywhere ever exerting a direct influence on the world’s destiny – and from this sad truth follows the conclusion that [...]

Also posted in Kranz (Rachel) | Comments closed

Art Has “No Direct Influence” on Destiny

By Robin Bates | Published: August 24, 2010

Polish poet, essayist Zbigniew Herbert I was channel surfing last night and saw an old C-Span episode (from 2003, I believe) discussing William Styron’s Confessions of Nat Turner. The author was present (he died in 2006), and I was interested in his contention that his book was all but banned by African American Studies programs [...]

Posted in Herbert (Zbigniew) | Tagged , , | Comments closed

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