I am certainly not arguing for the de facto autonomy of the individual work, even though there is much to be said for making the attempt to see it in that light as one facet of the reception process.
“If you cast your bread upon the water and you have faith, you'll get back cash. If you don't have faith, you'll get soggy bread.”
“A lunch date is more fun than a dinner date; you're not tired. It's a secret that not a lot of other parents told me about.”