Any work that aspires, however humbly, to the condition of art should carry its justification in every line.
Source: The Nigger of the Narcissus, Preface, 1897.
-- Joseph Conrad, (Dec 3 1857-1924), Polish novelist, short-story writer; He was considered a master of English prose, e.g., Lord Jim, 1900 and Heart of Darkness, 1902.