The Graying Of 'The Novel York Review Of Books'

From the Chronicle of Education:
By Russell Jacoby Jan 06, 2014

In a footing of disappearing in addition to diminishing majority reviews, every 2 weeks The New York Review of Books slaps to the tabular array amongst a satisfying thud. Printed inward a large format, its sixty pages—at least!—reassure those of us obsessed amongst books that the footing is non totally lost. Here are serious essays past times serious reviewers on serious books. H5N1 recent number contains, for instance, a lengthy review of fabliaux, 12th- in addition to 13th-century poetry ditties, in addition to a biography of the Empress Dowager, likewise equally reflections on Syrian Arab Republic ("The Road to Genocide?") in addition to a brusk slice on the fate of New York's "stop in addition to frisk" program. H5N1 mix of long reflective reviews amongst left-leaning political commentary has marked the NYRB from its beginning. Neither academic nor populist, its unapologetic devotion to earnest reviews in addition to political reportage has enriched our culture.

To a point. The twelvemonth 2013 marked the 50th anniversary of the NYRB, in addition to a serial of events inward New York in addition to London celebrated the magazine, in addition to peculiarly Robert Silvers, who has edited it since its commencement inward 1963. The assessments of the 50-year run consist of wall-to-wall encomiums. "Silvers is the wise emperor of a bright literary empire" is the core of the articles in addition to interviews. Perhaps this is non surprising. More than a K issues of a mag crammed amongst heavy-duty reviews in addition to essays impress critics. How tin 1 inquiry such an enterprise?

But something else thwarts a critical assessment. Timidity. "There is oft to hold upward constitute inward men devoted to literature," declared Samuel Johnson several centuries ago, "a form of intellectual cowardice." Writers in addition to professors parade their toughness, their credo of "speaking truth to power." But when it comes to talking truth to mini-power, the magazines inward which they mightiness release in addition to editors who mightiness allow it, laryngitis strikes. Who criticizes the professional person journals or the full general majority reviews? Few or no one. The argue is obvious. We all promise to hold upward reviewed or noticed. Even the most specialized sociologist of adolescent dating patterns harbors dreams of a major majority review. Some populace words almost the dismal lineament of reviewing inward this or that mag may non aid that cause. Less courage is required to assault the architects of American unusual policy than the editors of Foreign Policy.

In fact the NYRB began past times means of a rare critique of The New York Times Book Review. In 1959, the novelist in addition to essayist Elizabeth Hardwick, who went on to cofound the NYRB, published an essay inward Harper's, "The Decline of Book Reviewing," which lacerated the Times book review for its "torpor" in addition to "sluggishness." Edmund Wilson, America's pre-eminent human of letters, chimed in, remarking that the printer strike of 1963, which unopen downwardly the Times majority review for 3 months, "made us realize it had never existed."...MUCH MORE

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