New York Times Book Review Gets an UnderHaul

Thursday, January 27, 2005

The Plot Thickens at The New York Times Book Review, an article written on Pynter Online discusses the changes that the new executive editor Bill Keller of the NYTBR will make. Lowlights of this change:

"Emphasize non-fiction books. Demote literary fiction. Promote more [potboilers]commercial novels."

Views from the Editors, Book Reviewers and Publishers

My thoughts:

As a book reviewer, I am saddened by these changes. The dumbingdown of American literature in the past ten years has finally taken its toll on a publishing benchmark-The New York Times Book Review. Somewhere, someone decided that great diction, superb writing, emerging and brilliant thought should take a back seat to daytime soaps in print. My daughter's mind will not be tarnished by this for I will read her the classics. Maybe by the time she reaches highschool in ten years, The NYT will have recognized their faux paus or maybe anothe paper will take the reins. Bookmark perhaps?
 

2009 ·Dee Stewart by TNB