MJ: The National Endowment for the Arts probably wouldn’t touch a project like yours with a 10-foot pole. Have you gotten any reaction from the Canada Council for the Arts?
CB: [Laughs.] No so far. I was wondering if there would be some sort of a stir about that. No one’s brought it up yet.
***
If you ever thought to yourself, “A libertarian is just a nerdy loser who couldn’t get laid unless he paid for it” — well, bully for you!
Anyway: Why would the Canada Council “react,” negatively or otherwise?
They presumably a) funded the artist, based on a his written grant application, which contained a description of the project or
b) funded the publishers directly, in which case they obviously don’t know or don’t care what books/graphic novels they put out each year; they simply rubber stamp an annual grant to Drawn & Quarterly.
(I love how D&Q call themsleves “independent publishers” when they are “dependent” on my tax money to survive.)
Yep, it’s nice to see a socialist like the interviewer at Mother Jones reveal their profound ignorance of the mechanics of government bureaucracy.
PS: The NEA has funded all kinds of outrageous projects, as everyone knows.
And a good writer would never use the expression “with a 10-foot pole.”
Sad all around.
(Oh, and for the pair of nobodies still obsessed with the details of my life for some reason: I received my last government arts grant, for a couple of thousand bucks, back in 1992, maybe even earlier. That is, in a previous century. My philosophy about government funding of the arts/taking free money has evolved since then. I realize that’s not a personal experience you’re familiar with, so I’m trying to remain patient while you continue to grapple with it.)
