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Speaking of "the end of print," here is the latest from LJ on the world =
of collapsing book reviews........Steve Fesenmaier
----- Original Message -----=20
From: "Library Journal" <libraryjournal@email.libraryjournal.com>
To: <fesenms@wvlc.lib.wv.us>
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 4:14 PM
Subject: National Book Critics Circle Launches Campaign to Save Book =
Reviews
> April 23, 2007
> For immediate release
>=20
> Last week, the Los Angeles Times folded its book review section into
> an opinion section, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution eliminated
> its book review position. Not a good week for book criticism, but not
> a surprising one, either: in the past few years, newspapers from the
> Chicago Tribune to the Dallas Morning News to the Village Voice have
> seen book coverage shrink.
>=20
> The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) is not taking these
> developments lying down. This week, in an effort to support book
> reviews, book editors, book pages, and book culture, the NBCC is
> launching a Campaign to Save Book Reviews. During the last week in
> April and throughout the month of May, the NBCC is asking authors and
> editors, journalists and publishers-and in fact anyone interested in
> literary culture-to speak out on the value of books and book
> reviewing.
>=20
> The campaign's launch pad is an effort to save the book review
> position at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, held until last week by
> Teresa Wright. Explains NBCC president John Freeman, "Teresa has the
> opportunity to apply for a job within the company, but it's not clear
> what the fate of the book page will be-whether it'll be reassigned to
> an existing editor, whether it will go entirely to wire copy, or
> whether it will be removed altogether." A petition to save Wright's
> job has already secured nearly a thousand signatures, including those
> from luminaries as varied as Michael Connelly, Richard Powers, and Ian
> Rankin. Those interested in signing should go to
> http://www.petitiononline.com/atl2007/petition.html.
>=20
> Throughout the campaign, Critical Mass, the NBCC's blog, will feature
> Q&As, posts by concerned writers, and advice on petitioning the media
> to assure continued book coverage. Current posts include a lengthy Q&A
> with David L. Ulin, editor of the Los Angeles Times Book Review. Check
> out http://bookcriticscircle.blogspot.com/ to join in our efforts and
> to track developments in this ongoing and important campaign.
>=20
> The National Book Critics Circle, founded in 1974, is a nonprofit,
> tax-exempt organization consisting of nearly 700 active book reviewers
> nationwide who are interested in honoring quality writing and
> communicating with one another about common concerns. It is managed by
> a 24-member all-volunteer board of directors. For more information,
> please go to www.bookcritics.org.
>=20
> For questions, contact Barbara Hoffert, hoffer@reedbusiness.com or
> 646-746-6806.
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