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About this quote

What does it mean?
Art should engage with political realities rather than ignoring them, and politics could learn from artistic perspectives.
In plain terms
Art and politics need to interact more closely.
What can you take from it?
Engage art with civic issues.

Where it applies

  • cultural critique
  • policy debate
  • artistic statement

Putting it to work

  • create political art
  • analyze policy through art
  • advocate through culture

Questions to consider

  • How can art inform policy?
  • Should art remain neutral?

Another view

Art may lose aesthetic focus if overly politicized.

More from William Saroyan

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  2. The weakness of art is that great poems do not ennoble politics, as they certainly should, and the trouble with politics is that they inspire poets only to moc…

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  3. Don't forget that some things count more than other things.

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