“Absolutely they can criticize,” actor Bradley
Cooper said, in response to a comment from interviewer Terry Gross on NPR’s
Fresh Air, regarding the criticism following the release of the movie “American
Sniper.” “That is what art is about, really, you create it and then it is for
people to own, it is not for me to own.”
Cooper played the role of Chris Kyle, America's most deadly sniper. The interview aired Feb 2, 2015, on the two-year anniversary of Kyle’s death.
His comment about “owning” art was one that struck a
chord with me. How do you feel about releasing a piece of writing into the
world? Does creation mean ownership? Legally, yes, but does your work have a life
of its own after its release that you cannot expect to control?
Write soon,
Mary