NBCC Announces Week-Long Symposium on the Future of Book Reviewing

In keeping with its commitment to promote book discussion, the National Book Critics Circle is opening the fall season in New York with a week-long symposium, The Age of Infinite Margins: Book Critics Face the 21st Century. Panelists will include leading authors, publishers, and critics addressing issues they face in keeping the literary conversation lively, engaged, and cutting edge. Please note that the first three panels are being held at the Housing Works Bookstore Café, while the final event is being held at the Brooklyn Historical Society, in conjunction with the Brooklyn Book Festival.

Thursday, September 13, 7:00 p.m.
Housing Works Bookstore Café
126 Crosby Street, between Houston & Prince

Literary Magazines Go Electronic: Now Where’s the Print Edition in the Library? (cosponsored by Library Journal)

Barbara Hoffert, NBCC board member and Library Journal (moderator)
D.T. Max, author and former book columnist, the New York Observer
Brigid Hughes, editor, A Public Space
Karen Gisonny, Helen B. Librarian for Periodicals & Journals, Humanities and Social Sciences Library, New York Public Library
Jeffrey Lependorf, executive director, Council of Literary Magazines and Presses
Scott McLemee, Insiderhighered.com columnist and Nona Balakian Citation–winner
Kevin Prufer, award-winning poet, NBCC board member, and editor of Pleiades

Friday, September 14, 4:30 p.m.
Housing Works Bookstore Café
126 Crosby Street, between Houston & Prince

Grub Street 2.0: The Future of Book Coverage

John Freeman, NBCC president and critic (moderator)
Emily Lazar, producer, The Colbert Report
Melissa Eagan, producer, The Leonard Lopate Show
Erica Wagner, literary editor, Times (UK)
Jennifer Szalai, NBCC member and senior editor, Harper’s magazine
Steve Wasserman, incoming literary editor, Truthdig.com
Dwight Garner, senior editor, New York Times Book Review

The format will be a round-table discussion.

Friday, September 14, 5:45 p.m.
Housing Works Bookstore Café
126 Crosby Street, between Houston & Prince

What We Talk About When We Talk About Books:
Can Criticism and Promotion Coexist Today?

John Freeman, NBCC president and critic (moderator)
Nan A. Talese, publisher of Nan A. Talese, a Doubleday imprint
Sean McDonald, executive editor, Riverhead, a Penguin Group (USA) imprint
Eric Banks, editor in chief, Bookforum
David Kipen, director, National Reading Initiatives, NEA
Dave Weich, director of development & marketing, Powell's Bookstore

Sunday, September 16, 1:00 p.m.
Brooklyn Historical Society
128 Pierrepont St.

Why Book Reviews Matter: How We Decide What to Read (Next)

Jane Ciabattari, NBCC board member and short story writer (moderator)
Kathryn Harrison, critic, memoirist, and novelist
Colin Harrison, novelist and executive editor, Scribner
John Reed, novelist and book editor, the Brooklyn Rail
Harvey Shapiro, poet and former editor, New York Times Book Review

The National Book Critics Circle, founded in 1974, is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization consisting of nearly 700 active book reviewers who are interested in honoring quality writing and communicating with one another about common concerns. It is managed by a 24-member all-volunteer board of directors. For more information, please go to http://www.bookcritics.org/. For further information at the events listed above, please contact John Freeman at jfreeman4@nyc.rr.com (646-246-8565).

--NBCC board member Barbara Hoffert