Does the author's intent matter to what a work means?

Axis: intent does not matter; meaning belongs to readers ... intent decides meaning

John

date	change	position	video
2007-12-18	new	John says authors do put in symbolism, but the reading experience would be equally rich with or without authorial intent.	Dec 18th: The Project for Awesome and Question Tuesday!!! 00:02:07
2008-10-11	restate	John says deconstructionism may take something away from the author, but authors don't own books, readers do.	Question Friday 00:00:58
2010-09-20	restate	John holds that whether the author intended a symbol does not matter: the job of reading is not to understand the author's intent.	Life Is Like Pizza 00:03:16
2011-01-21	restate	John says writers, editors and agents are all facilitators; the real business of books is done by readers, each of whom reads a different Looking for Alaska.	Looking for Alaska Five Years After the Printz Award 00:02:41
2011-05-18	restate	John, speaking as an author, holds that whether an author intended a symbol is not the interesting question; Paper Towns' Great White Wall of Cow is there for readers to think about nature's apathy.	The Education Continuum WARNER CHILCOTTED 00:02:14
2011-06-15	restate	John says what authors mean doesn't really matter; critical reading matters as a way into thinking about our actual lives.	Question Tuesday! Paula Deen Riding Me (and critical reading) 00:03:06
2013-01-16	restate	John says every reading is a collaboration in which reader and writer make the story up together.	An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall 01:00:11