http://nigelbeale.com/2008/05/the-death-of-the-critic-responses-3-how-should-academics-attribute-merit/ Musings on the Book, Literature, Poetry, Literary Criticism, Collecting, Media, Life and the Arts, and Audio Interviews from The Biblio File radio program pertaining to same by a writer, broadcaster, bibliophile. Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:38:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://nigelbeale.com/2008/05/the-death-of-the-critic-responses-3-how-should-academics-attribute-merit/comment-page-1/#comment-45798 Rohan Maitzen Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:13:09 +0000 http://nigelbeale.com/?p=902#comment-45798 Andrew, I agree with your point about what (serious) readers want; that's really one of the reasons I hesitate about pressuring critics to be more evaluative, as if their task is to tell other people what's good and what's bad, rather than to engage them as richly as possible in reading. Just for the record, the phrase you quote is as I put it, not as Nigel did. Thanks to Nigel for cross-posting these comments from my own review of McDonald's book.  These exchanges are good demonstrations of the kinds of critical conversations blogging makes possible.  Andrew, I agree with your point about what (serious) readers want; that’s really one of the reasons I hesitate about pressuring critics to be more evaluative, as if their task is to tell other people what’s good and what’s bad, rather than to engage them as richly as possible in reading. Just for the record, the phrase you quote is as I put it, not as Nigel did. Thanks to Nigel for cross-posting these comments from my own review of McDonald’s book.  These exchanges are good demonstrations of the kinds of critical conversations blogging makes possible. 

]]> http://nigelbeale.com/2008/05/the-death-of-the-critic-responses-3-how-should-academics-attribute-merit/comment-page-1/#comment-45791 Andrew MacDonald Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:07:47 +0000 http://nigelbeale.com/?p=902#comment-45791 Readers do want "to be engaged in debate worthy of the books they are considering," as Nigel has it. The popularity of book clubs and, where I live in Canada, book talk as a subject on CBC radio reveals this hunger. Speaking as a literate non-academic, and an infrequent fiction reader, I like quality criticism for precisely the same reasons I like quality books: for the subtlety, wit, and intelligent perspective in it. (If you make me laugh at least once, I'll likely be back.)  I want critics to shine a bright light of intelligence on the work, whether the piece in question is schlock or worthy of elevation to the canon. I'll decide for myself whether I trust the critic depending on whether her smarts on the page prove her worthy of my trust. But presupposing objective standards of merit, or being ruled by them, reduces the richness of art to a story about good vs bad, when, like our children, it's much more than that.Critics should show us and not tell us, just as writers are admonished to do. We can make up our own minds if we wish to read.   Readers do want "to be engaged in debate worthy of the books they are considering," as Nigel has it. The popularity of book clubs and, where I live in Canada, book talk as a subject on CBC radio reveals this hunger. Speaking as a literate non-academic, and an infrequent fiction reader, I like quality criticism for precisely the same reasons I like quality books: for the subtlety, wit, and intelligent perspective in it. (If you make me laugh at least once, I’ll likely be back.)  I want critics to shine a bright light of intelligence on the work, whether the piece in question is schlock or worthy of elevation to the canon. I’ll decide for myself whether I trust the critic depending on whether her smarts on the page prove her worthy of my trust. But presupposing objective standards of merit, or being ruled by them, reduces the richness of art to a story about good vs bad, when, like our children, it’s much more than that.Critics should show us and not tell us, just as writers are admonished to do. We can make up our own minds if we wish to read.  

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