Oh man, I am incredibly indecisive about things like this. This is a really interesting topic. I can see both ways being a valid way to write. I watched the video, and the narrator brings up some good points, but at some points, I was like, whoa, way too much literary theory that I know nothing about. But then she did go on to explain it.
I got a little long-winded and ramble in this post, and I talked a little about simlit, and non-simlit writing, and also my perspective as a reader and writer (I always feel weird saying this because I don't really consider myself a writer, it's just a creative endeavor that I enjoy). Okay, so here goes.
As a reader, I usually don't like to know much about the author when I start reading. This is hard because sometimes I will read popular books and I already know a little bit about the author. I did like how the video explained reading as being a sort of intimate experience between author and reader. That I can relate to. I do find myself connecting to the reading, and maybe the author on some level, because I like the way they create a character or how imaginative the work is. I probably do form subconscious opinions or ideas of the author as I read, like... oh this person knows a lot about biology (I just made something up here), I wonder if they studied it in college? Usually, it's pretty neutral observations.
After I have read a book, I will learn a little more about the author, because I like to know what inspired them to write or how certain life experiences influenced their work. I think because I've always been curious about people in general. And even if I don't like the author as a person, it usually doesn't influence how I see the book or the writing. I figure I liked the book for some reason, so it shouldn't lessen its quality because I don't like the author. Unless of course if the author is writing about something like finance (another random example) and it turns out they laundered a bunch of money or went bankrupt, then maybe I wouldn't take the book seriously anymore. I think non-fiction the author does matter, and you can't kill the author. The author needs to have credibility and knowledge of their subject in non-fiction. But I think for fiction, it is easier to dissociate the author from the work. In simlit it is even easier because everyone is anonymous. It is easier to “kill the author” because I’m not going to ask people about their personal views or personal history because that’s an invasion of privacy. I’m reading simlit because it’s fun and I enjoy the story, and I think it's kind of refreshing to have that anonymity.
As a writer, I don't know if it is completely possible to dissociate yourself from writing, at least for me it isn't. I know I try to be as unbiased as possible, but I still know that I bring my own opinions, background, views of the world with me when I write, no matter how much I try not to. I also think that the reader also brings their own background and opinions with them as well, and what I intended to write or convey may not be seen in the same way to the reader. Or the reader might interpret it a little differently than I had intended. I guess in this situation I think it's valid for the reader to interpret it the way they want even if that's not what I intended. Usually, when I see this, I'm like... that's interesting, I never thought of it that way. Sometimes I do offer my interpretation if I think the reader is lost (I'm writing some mystery with plot twists, so I don't want my reader to be completely lost and get frustrated). I think the more I write, the more I leave it up to interpretation. With my current story, I am not going to explain everything at the end, so the reader can formulate their own opinions.
I do agree that sometimes I write and I don't know exactly what I want to convey and I will just write the character interactions and leave it at that. I also am not trying to write something that is very deep, or life-changing, I mean I'm writing about a supernatural investigator, mer-people, and shapeshifters. :D I try to bring some real-life elements into it and try to make my characters like people you would meet every day (okay, maybe not Nancy Landgraab, I don't know any billionaires, lol).
So yeah, I don't know exactly what I'm trying to say in this post even. :D Basically, as a writer, reader interpretation is good and valid, but I also know that my own background probably does bleed through into the story, so I probably haven't completely been able to “kill the author” in my writing. As a reader, I don’t mind having things open-ended and I like being able to form my own thoughts on the reading.
Edit: Haha! Got my first censored word, it wasn't even that bad of a word, lol.