The Book Review: History, Theory, Practi

What is criticism? And what (or who) is a critic? How does a critic write now? This seminar is an approach to these questions through an investigation of the common currency of literary-intellectual life: the book review. It is intended for young writers interested in the world of reviewing— and criticism, literary journalism, the magazine— and is three things at once: a history of 20th and 21st century criticism (exploring the work of major critics past and present); a theoretical exploration of how the literary field has been, and is now, structured; and a practicum in review-writing. Our focus will primarily be the quickly mutating life of public literary criticism in American magazines from WWII to the present. We will read figures such as Lionel Trilling, Elizabeth Hardwick, Susan Sontag, and others, but most of our time will be spent reading significant critics of the past 5-10 years; we will also read three novelistic treatments of the lives of critics and writers; and some time will be devoted to in-person discussions with current editors and writers in NYC about the conditions of their work.