"Writing is about culture and should be about everything. That's what makes it what it is"

Irvine Welsh's quote, "Writing is about culture and should be about everything. That's what makes it what it is", encapsulates a diverse view of the act and art of writing. In the first part of the statement, "Writing is about culture", Welsh stresses the intrinsic relationship between writing and the cultural context from which it emerges. Composing does not exist in a vacuum; it is deeply rooted in the peculiarities of its time and location. Through storytelling, authors explore cultural standards, social concerns, historical contexts, and the diverse human experiences that form their world. Writers frequently serve as cultural historians, catching the zeitgeist of their age and offering insights into the human condition.

The subsequent part of the quote, "and ought to be about whatever", widens this point of view. Welsh appears to promote for an expansive technique to composing, where no subject is off-limits. By recommending that writing should encompass whatever, he encourages writers to transcend limits, check out diverse topics, and welcome a myriad of ideas and experiences. This inclusivity enhances literature, offering readers a wider understanding of the world and inviting them into discussions about issues they might not have directly come across.

The concluding sentence, "That's what makes it what it is", ties together these concepts, asserting that the essence of writing is its capability to record cultural and universal truths. It is this blend of the particular-- the cultural-- and the broad-- the everything-- that gives writing its power and resonance. The richness of literature lies in its capability to show a diverse range of experiences while at the same time connecting to universal styles.

Welsh's quote therefore works as a pointer of composing's capacity: to challenge, to show, to explore, and eventually to bring individuals from different walks of life into a shared area of understanding and exploration.