Writing About Literature--Informal Researching and Visual Arts

So the articles I read were Chapters 4 and 15 "Stepping Over Joyce's Paralysis" by Ashley Nelson and "Coon Dogs... " by Amy Whitaker.
Ashley Nelson talked about how informal sources of research, such as blogs, are sometimes just as useful and important as formal, academic sources.  With our technologically advancing world, ideas are more and more readily available.  She claimed that just because Joe doesn't have a doctorate degree in literary studies, his ideas about the interpretation of a work can be just as valuable to a researcher and adds value to the discussion on that topic.  She made a valid point.  If the ideas are out there, why should we not utilize them?  I wonder how much these informal sources will be used as valid sources in modern research as the ideas of any given person become more and more publicized.
Amy Whitaker talked about the importance of visual art in the interpretation of literary works.  Literature has always been about the words for me.  It is difficult to find a picture book on a novel like Tolstoy's War and Peace or Hugo's Les Miserables, but she argued the point that when studying these works, students and teachers should use available visual arts because it adds a completely new dynamic and understanding to the work to see an artists depiction of the work of literature.  I think it's a great idea, if such sources are available, but I do not think we should ever undervalue the beauty and importance of the words themselves.  I do not think we should become dependent on seeing the works visually to loose the ability to see them imaginatively.  Our personal visual interpretation of a work is as important as our emotional, moral, and philosophical interpretations.