The literary life of Michiko Kakutani: the book critic's best feuds and reviews

The New York Times writer is stepping down from her role, leaving behind a remarkable career characterized by razor-sharp reviews and intra-literary rowsMichiko Kakutani, the New York Times’ revered chief book critic, announced she was stepping down from her post on Thursday after 38 years, marking the end of a career that inspired both admiration and fear in the hearts of the writers whose books she reviewed.Kakutani was America’s most powerful literary critic, someone who, with the stroke of a pen, wielded immense influence over the careers of both budding and established novelists. Over the course of her tenure at the Times, Kakutani was remarkably guarded, making few appearances in public and allowing her reviews to speak for themselves. In honor of a critic so widely celebrated – the scribe behind pieces that launched the careers of David Foster-Wallace, George Saunders and Zadie Smith and angered quite a few others – here are her best feuds and reviews, broken down. Related: In defense of Jonathan Franzen – the internet's collective punching bag “Writing in prose that is at once visceral and lapidary, Mr Franzen shows us how his characters strive to navigate a world of technological gadgetry and ever-shifting mores, how they struggle to balance the equation between their expectations of life and dull reality, their political ideals and mercenary personal urges. He proves himself as adept at adolescent comedy (what happens to Joey after he accidentally swallows his... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2017-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yet more literary furor over fake book reviews

British crime writer R.J. Ellory is the latest author to be caught out writing glowing online reviews of his own work. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book review: 'An Improbable Life' by Jim Abbott and Tim Brown

A coming-of-age story by former Angels pitcher Abbott is at its best when describing his influence as a role model off the field.Imperfect Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book review: 'Reading for My Life,' essays by John Leonard

This is a brilliant collection of writings on politics, social and cultural engagement and literary life.Reading for My Life Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books: The new Trump book, plus book reviews and news

For book lovers and politics fiends, 2018 has gotten off to a bang with the early publication of “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” by Michael Wolff. Welcome to the new year! I’m Carolyn Kellogg with this week’s books newsletter. THE BIG STORY Excerpts from “Fire and Fury” that... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘The Book of Love,’ by Kelly Link

In “The Book of Love,” the Pulitzer finalist and master of short stories pushes our understanding of what a fantasy novel can be. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2024-02-12 10:00:46 UTC ]
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Are Literary Agents Seeing Changes in Publishing with Increased Book Bans (A Survey): Book Censorship News, March 24, 2023

Are publishers acquiring fewer LGBTQ+ and diverse books in the wake of rising censorship? This week's book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-03-24 10:40:00 UTC ]
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7 Book Review Podcasts for Discovering New Books

Book review podcasts are an engaging way to discover new books. Check out these podcasts across different genres, including All The Books! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-11-30 11:32:00 UTC ]
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The Biased Online Book Ratings Systems Undermining Professional Review Sources: Book Censorship News, November 4, 2022

BookLooks, RatedBooks, and more biased online rating systems getting books banned. That, plus this week's book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-11-04 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Review: Larry Elder complained we'd never reviewed his books. So we did, like it or not

David Ulin read four of the recall candidate's books, from the jeremiad "Showdown" to the memoir "A Lot Like Me," and found not a writer but a brand. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-09-08 13:00:05 UTC ]
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Books in the Media: Children's book reviews dip year on year

In August 2019, The Bookseller reported that children's books accounted for just 4.9% of review space, despite making up a third of the market. Latest figures from Books in the Media shows that this figure has dropped to 4.3%, when looking at reviews from the past 12 months.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-24 01:05:09 UTC ]
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'New York Times Book Review' Adds Excerpts to Digital Reviews

The 'New York Times Book Review' will now add excerpts from the first chapter of books being reviewed to a select number of reviews it publishes digitally. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Books in the Media: Children's books account for 4.9% of review space

Children's books account for just 4.9% of review space, despite making up a third of the market, according to data from Books in the Media.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-15 17:56:13 UTC ]
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New L.A. book fair LitLit comes to Hauser & Wirth presented by L.A. Review of Books

Book lovers! Sign up for the new L.A. Times Book Club for upcoming author events » The Los Angeles Review of Books and Hauser & Wirth Publishers are bringing a brand-new book fair to Los Angeles next month. LitLit, the Little Literary Fair, will premiere July 20 and 21 at Hauser &... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-06-25 17:30:00 UTC ]
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Book reviews: Book of Cohen and A Dream of Italy

REVIEWS: David Cohen explores his famous namesake, Leonard, in Book of Cohen. Plus Nicky Pellegrino's latest. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2019-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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AdoramaPix photo book review: A great tool that creates beautiful, hard-bound books

If you live in New York City, you might be familiar with the professional photography shop Adorama in lower Manhattan. The company has taken its photo printing to the web with AdoramaPix, where you can order prints and create various products, including photo books.Whatever Adorama learned... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2018-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books: The library fire, a criminal family, reviews and book news

Hello! I’m books editor Carolyn Kellogg with this week’s books newsletter from the L.A. Times. THE BIG STORY Although Susan Orlean is a staff writer for the New Yorker, she lives in Los Angeles part-time, and for the last six years has been writing a book that investigates a mystery many of us... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books: Theodore Sturgeon's overlooked centenary plus reviews and book news

Hello I’m books editor Carolyn Kellogg with our Books newsletter this week. THE BIG STORY This year is Theodore Sturgeon’s centenary, and if you’re wondering “who?,” you’re not alone. Once widely read (and still beloved in some science fiction communities, as a few on Twitter pointed out to me)... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books: Writing and gun violence, women in criticism, politics at the Festival of Books and more

I’m L.A. Times books editor Carolyn Kellogg — welcome to this week’s newsletter. THE BIG STORY What can poetry do in the face of gun violence? Critic at large Adriana E. Ramirez attended a reading — in Florida, not long after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland — that... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books: Favorite reads of the year from our Critics at Large and more book news

Greetings and salutations! I’m Carolyn Kellogg, Books editor of the L.A. Times with this week’s books newsletter. CRITICS PICKS This week the entire Sunday Calendar section is taken up with critics picks for the year in film, television, theater, music, art — and books. Seven of our Critics at... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'New York Times Book Review' Announces Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2016

The 'New York Times Book Review' has revealed the 10 titles on its 64th annual list of Best Illustrated Children's Books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-11-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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