Art v. theory

As I've grown older, I've become less interested in the theoretical aspects of art, more inclined to agree with Norman O. Brown that "the proper response to poetry is not criticism but poetry." This puts me at odds with most of my academic colleagues in the university, where theory rules. I don't object to theory; I just find theoretical issues less engaging than when I was younger. Now I'd rather create something without worrying about the whats, hows and whys, and then move on to create something else. Let other folks figure it out if they must. For me the experience of creation has become its own reward.

If I were in Pittsburgh, I suspect I'd be babbling like an idiot, so it's probably a good thing I'm not there ha ha.