The Importance Of Reviews

As those who peruse literary blogs will have learnt, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently eliminated the job of its book editor, leading to outraged protests, with many concerned that book coverage would only be provided mostly by wire services and reprints from national papers.

Critical Mass, the truly excellent blog of the National Book Critics Circle Board of Directors, has been giving the issue and the protests sterling coverage, and has even launched an online petition aimed at making the newspaper reverse its decision.

Meanwhile, the mainstream media, quick to seize upon any story that mentions blogs, hasn't been lagging behind -- here's a report on how relevant book reviewers are today from The New York Times, and here's one on "the organic link between books and newspapers" from the Columbia Journalism Review.

Sitting here, in a country whose media defines itself mainly by celebrity and "breaking news" coverage, it's heartening to find that such a ruckus can be raised over book reviews. Why, perhaps they're important, after all.