Well, let's see: Benvenuto Cellini, at least one homicide I recall, frequent assaults with a deadly weapon, beating his mistress; racist, probably a great major

Well, let's see: Benvenuto Cellini, at least one homicide I recall, frequent assaults with a deadly weapon, beating his mistress; racist, probably a great majority of all artists who ever lived, and please note that I don't mean "of all artists of European descent". Thieves, hmm, Jean Genet for starters. Nobody says that you have to approve of Kipling's notions of race or governance. Certainly I don't, certainly I find certain of his writings obnoxious, but some of his fiction is wonderful.