carolyn kellogg

The LA Times reports on the book-critics-vs-litblogs kerfluffle with this nicely circumspect comment from Mark (TEV) Sarvas:

This was truly a false dichotomy. The two sides needn’t be in opposition, certainly not at this time. There is a vast ecosystem of information about books out there, and all of it needs our support.

Vast ecosystem, exactly.

Unfortunately, the article misattributes an earlier quote (to Ed instead of Colleen), and got another little fact wrong — a quote appearing on the NBCC blog, not in the Washington Post. Of course bloggers get peeved at this kind of oops! reporting, which distracts from the larger point.

Here’s some more of Josh Getlin’s article:

Indeed, more than at any time in the last 40 years, there is a bounty of news, features, criticism and gossip about books in newspapers, magazines and journals, blogs, radio and TV, podcasts and an ever-growing number of book clubs and festivals. It’s by all appearances a flourishing literary moment in a culture that traditionally values other forms of entertainment, and it raises the question: Why should two key elements of that mosaic, litbloggers and book reviewers, be trading shots at all?

Errors notwithstanding, the article is entirely worth reading. Now be nice, everyone. Don’t go throwing peanuts at each other at BEA.

PS How annoying is it that the NY Times has put their article about book blogging into the pay-only archive?

PPS Nice photo, Mark.