Should a Writer be Invisible? Discuss

I believe that in most cases art should stand for itself; it shouldn't need any further explanation.
When I am reading a fictional story or watching a film I enjoy the voice of the narrator as a mysterious presence. If the voice educates me, I feel involved and am not concerned about whose voice it is.

I think it is the author's decision however and I think it also depends on the subject. If they want to discuss their work online for educational purposes I think it is a useful resource however if they want to discuss autobiographical information for the reader I feel it isn't necessary.

If a non-fictional writer has published a pioneering piece of work on a particular subject however; I think it is important for others in the same field to meet and assess the new theory and also give them the recognition and appreciation they deserve.

Stephen King wanted to prove that the quality of writing should always come first and that the identity of the author is not important. For several of his novels he wrote under the pen name of Richard Bachman, he wanted to know whether his work would receive a similar response if people did not know it was himself writing these books. The result was that the books gradually became just as successful as his other works. I do wonder whether a lot of readers buy books in response to critical reviews however.