The Death of the Author debate is way too blinkered in scope

[druid91]

If you are confused, and the author has something to say. Listen to the author. Sure if they start outright contradicting themselves, like I already said, all bets are off. But they are the final authority on what they write. Not you, not some over important critic. The writer. They wrote it, they know what it means.

Any statement by the author that is not a verbatim recreation of the text is a contradiction of the text.