My second reading of Southan’s piece “Is Art a Waste of Time?” enhanced my understanding of the writing and the meaning behind it. While I wasn’t sure I agreed with some of the passage the first time I read it, I now strongly disagree with multiple claims Southan made about EA. I really picked up on how radically EA members believe that art is indeed a waste of time. On the first page, Southan wrote “The idea that someone’s book, film, painting, or dance could be their way to reduce the world’s suffering struck Hilton as bizarre, almost to the point of incoherence.” This statement struck me as very close-minded. I think that many artists use their work to make others happy or to improve the lives of others. Many authors and filmmakers also donate large amounts of their profits to charity, which is absolutely helping reduce the world’s suffering. They might not be actively reducing poverty or world hunger, but literature, music and art have improved countless lives. Additionally, on the last page, Southan quoted Rodley “by definition, most artists are mediocre, and their art doesn’t really please many people, if any.” EA also believes that “if all art already exists within some measure, isn’t that good enough?” These quotes emphasize how little EA members appreciate the immense effort that goes into creating art to improve the lives of others. During my second reading of this piece, I also realized how many times Southan refers to himself as an artist and then goes on to insult artists everywhere and their work.

Glossing the text was definitely helpful for me. As I was reading Southan’s work, there were multiple words I didn’t know the meaning of. Looking up their definitions helped me understand the writing and it’s meaning on a deeper level.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/utilitarianism, http://www.dictionary.com/browse/palatable?s=t, http://www.dictionary.com/browse/avant-garde?s=t