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Dear Michael Dirda
May 2, 2007

Just so you know, Mr. Dirda -- I don't want to write a book. (Well, I would like to write a book, but my book has nothing to do with my blog -- the book I'm working on is a novel and it may never, ever see the light of day. But I digress.)

Believe it or not, I actually write my blog because I care as much about books as you do. I take them "seriously as works of art and argument." I wish I had more time to write cogent, considered book reviews -- and that the culture I lived in still considered that devoting print, audio, video, and online space to well-thought-out reviews was as important as finding out what Baby Dannielynn is doing this week.

I don't disagree with you that print book reviews are important. They're also often different from blog posts about books. (That's a separate post, however.)

But your generalizations in this NBCC Critical Mass blog entry smack of the "shallow grandstanding and overblown ranting" of which you accuse literary/book/publishing bloggers. We're not all "kids hoping to be noticed" for our "sass and vulgarity." Some of us are bona fide adults, with academic credentials, book review credits to our names, and are even members of the National Book Critics Circle.

Very respectfully yours,
Bethanne Patrick

P.S.: I hope any readers who haven't seen this petition to reinstate the book review editor at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution will consider signing.

Posted by Bethanne Patrick on May 2, 2007 | Comments (0)