Morality in writing

Some of my favorite writers have been bad people. My two favorites are Jack Kerouac and Ernest Hemingway. Kerouac was a notorious user of drugs and Hemingway was a misogynistic, alcoholic antisemitic. The discussion in class about misogynistic writers got me thinking that maybe it possible that bad people make for very interesting writers. Personally I find it more interesting to  be inside the head of a sinner than a saint for the same reason teenagers prefer Miley Cyrus to Christian Rock (regardless of their faith): its fun to be bad. But regardless I don't feel that when judging the value of a piece of art that the morality or the artist should be called into question; much less be the determining factor. As Lucien Carr stated quite beautifully - "Art transcends traditional morality"