The newspaper book editor is becoming an endangered species.

In April,
the Los Angeles Times dropped its stand-alone book section, The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution eliminated its book editor and the Chicago Tribune
… Read more

Last week, as James Frey made the transition from king of the confessional to teller of tall tales, the author of the bestselling memoir “A Million Little Pieces” came up with a flimsy defense.  

Outed by TheSmokingGun.com, Frey acknowledged on… Read more

To Our Readers:

A couple of years ago, two book critics named Margo and Ellen sat down to lunch in St. Petersburg, Fla., with two people from The Poynter Institute, Bill Mitchell and Julie Moos.… Read more

Hi Margo,

The week began on a low note for journalists everywhere when CBS News offered a mea culpa over its now-discredited story on the President’s military record. Exactly why reporters should feel so bad is open to interpretation: Is it because… Read more

Hey Ellen,

After 9/11/01, when the world was reeling in shock from the hideous attacks on the World Trade Center, I wrote a column about what it was like being a book editor during a time of intense breaking news. “While my colleagues were… Read more

Hola, Margo!

Well, it looks like the big kahunas of contemporary literature have found a new cause. Responding to the America-first Zeitgeist that has spilled into our political discourse, they’re hitting back with New York’s first international writers’ festival, PEN World Voices, to… Read more

Hello Ellen!

What is it about the holiday spirit that moves so many authors to write Christmas stories? Even the cranky H.L. Mencken wrote a Christmas tale for The New Yorker. Entitled ”Stare Decisis” when it was first published in 1947 (and reprinted 50… Read more

Hi Margo,

Since the election a month ago, I’ve been driven to distraction by how the news media has handled this stunning revelation: Moral values are back. Not only did the values thing play a role in George Bush’s victory, apparently, but it has fed untold talk… Read more

Hey Ellen,

Earlier this month, Marina Krakovsky, in an article for The Washington Post Book World about how bestseller lists are compiled, asked a simple question: If more reliable and more timely data can be obtained from Nielsen… Read more

Hi Margo,

Well, finally. After years of touting TV and entertainment types for their dedication to reading, the Association of American Publishers has decided to do the right thing and honor someone other than a celebrity for advocacy of reading and books. Enough already with… Read more