On Moral Fiction

"After my first novel was in proofs, I had the priviledge of spending an afternoon with the late John Gardner, who had recently published 'On Moral Fiction'. Gardner said that he was looking forward to reading my novel...which...subverted all the principles and prescriptions set forth in his manifesto. 'I don't think you're going to like it,' I said. Gardner gave me a wink and a nod and said, 'I like a lot more than I let on.' I think he came to appreciate, as [Tom] Wolfe no doubt will, just how fruitless and vain it is to attempt to prescribe the modes and subjects of contemporary art."Gardner, John is the author of 'On Moral Fiction', published 1979 under ISBN 9780465052264 and ISBN 0465052266.