Juno Books

In the past few years, newspapers from the Chicago Tribune to the Dallas Morning News to the Village Voice downsized book reviews and coverage. Last week, the Los Angeles Times folded its book review section into an opinion section, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution eliminated its book review position.

The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC), in an effort to support book reviews, book editors, book pages, and book culture, the NBCC is launching a Campaign to Save Book Reviews. During the last week in April and throughout the month of May, the NBCC is asking authors and editors, journalists and publishers — anyone interested in literary culture–to speak out on the value of books and book reviewing.

Critical Mass, the NBCC blog (http://bookcriticscircle.blogspot.com/)offers suggestions of what you can do to help. It will also track developments in this ongoing campaign and feature Q&As, posts by concerned writers, and advice on petitioning the media to assure continued book coverage. Current posts include a Q&A with David L. Ulin, editor of the Los Angeles Times Book Review.

The book review position at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, was held until last week by
Teresa Weaver. A petition to save Weaver’s job has already secured nearly a thousand signatures, including those from luminaries as varied as Michael Connelly, Richard Powers, and Ian Rankin. Those interested in signing should go to
http://www.petitiononline.com/atl2007/petition.html.

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