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On the cult of genius.
The arts are full of abusive narcissists, people who are “soooo talented” that we’re told we have to overlook their bad behaviour and cherish their scarce genius. We have some prominent examples before us currently, but it plays out everywhere. These people are in every arts community, and they are endlessly destructive. They hoard resources and connections, they cut down their peers, they support no one but themselves. Anyone who contradicts them is ostracized, shouted down, shut out. You don’t kiss the appropriate ass, or – god forbid! – you offer an honest critical opinion of their work. Suddenly you can’t access cheap rehearsal space, you can’t find collaborators, you…