“Yes, bad or mediocre ballets can be useful to the dancers and temporarily fun for the audience, but in the long run, the lowering of standards can only erode the art form we all love.”

Robert Gottlieb is an American editor and literary critic. He spent decades shaping major publishing houses as editor-in-chief, including at Alfred A. Knopf and the New Press, and remains influential for his advocacy of literary nonfiction and social justice. His career spans six decades, marked by mentorship of writers and a commitment to public intellectualism.