[Tim Love]

http://www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/~tpl/texts...ngreviews.html
are some notes I gave out to a Writers Group after a talk on "writing reviews".

[David Anthony]

That's thoughtful and very interesting, Tim.
I did a few reviews for New Hope International, but found the task a thankless one, as you have no choice what you read, and most of what I was sent I would not read by choice; and then you have to find positive things to say.
Best regards,
David

[epigone]

Intelligent stuff, Tim. It all seems so obvious when you put it down this way, and yet the obvious seems to escape so many reviewers. I wish, for example, Poetry Magazine would adopt your criteria in selecting its own reviewers rather than seeking savages.

Reviewing books is a wonderful way to hone one's reading skills and (if one is a conscientious reviewer) to keep one honest about one's views of a book's merits and demerits.

Still, I find it hard to find the time to review all the books I intend to review.

epigone

[don eminizer]

I have a noted aversion to most critics and criticism, as I think in this day and age of further seperation between the illiterate and literate populations of the world, encouragement is productive for those who try, however, your points in this piece are valid, and I agree. Historically speaking, a good critic can discern a gem from any era and put it into perpective with masterpieces of other eras, but, often throughout the centuries critics have been unable to recognize genius from a contemporary for various reasons, mostly ego, so I tend to regard current criticism with a leery eye. Perhaps I shouldn't.

[Katy Evans-Bush]

Tim, I read your piece with interest - I liked all the quotes. And I loved the letter from the LRB, it reminded me why I must renew my subscription.

But I think you've underplayed what criticism (a review) can do. A good piece of criticism can give us a totally new way of looking at a poem or poet, can help us learn how to read, as it were, and can put a particular work - say, the new book - in context of a writer's oeuvre and in the context of other current writing.

A knowledgeable reviewer can shed light on a piece that even careful reading couldn't have. (Of course, a little knowledge being a dangerous thing, a reviewer can also make unsupported assertions and muddy the water for the unwary reader - there was a kerfuffle last year with a biography of - was it EE Cummings? - which was largely plagiarised - or was it a different book.) (Sorry! If I were reviewing I'd check that.)

I'd have mentioned the importance of RESEARCH - that is, knowing whereof you speak: looking at the author's previous books, or just finding out a bit about them - not just writing a student essay on the book at hand. So many reviews are just jejune , & it makes me heart sink when I see an ignorant reviewer thinking he can bullshit it as if it were an exam!

I know you don't want to put people off, but then again, if someone is going to write reviews they should have a proper respect for the position of authority they're putting themselves into.

Anyway, a working guide to people wanting to get started is a great idea - it's not something I've seen covered before. In the website section at the end you could add www.cprw.com, which is the Contemporary Poetry Review.

clearly, btw, I know you already gave it out! I think it's great. If you were going to use it again I might make some of these additions.

KEB

[Tim Love]

Katy: But I think you've underplayed what criticism (a review) can do - I tried to steer clear of the essay-writing aspect because many "how to write essays" books for students already exist, and there are relatively few outlets for that sort of review anyway. But yes, I've rather neglected the essay/review.
Before writing the piece I thought that Reviews were mainly to help people decide whether they should buy the book. While researching for the piece, I began to feel that 1) Reviews don't sell books; 2) Reviewers have little to gain and much to lose - society's gain is their loss.

I'd have mentioned the importance of RESEARCH - I should have mentioned this. The talk went on to compare written reviews with workshop comments, and sought to encourage more people to write up workshop sessions for the group's newsletter. The online notes are a shortened version of the notes I gave out, and hence are somewhat biased towards social/interpersonal issues. The people who complain when Reviewers flatter friends aren't keen to volunteer to do write-ups.

if someone is going to write reviews they should have a proper respect for the position of authority they're putting themselves into - but they're not usually putting themselves into a position of authority; editors put them there. I'd say that the readers shouldn't make any more assumptions about a Reviewer's authority than about a Poet's authority - if the Review or Poem is in a big mag one might assume that the editor chose it for valid reasons, but it might still be rubbish.


In the website section at the end you could add www.cprw.com, which is the Contemporary Poetry Review. - Thanks. Now added. I also forgot www.complete-review.com