Do you know who Michiko Kakutani is? Call me a latte-swilling, sushi-eating cultural elite, and I will tell you that she is the New York Times chief book critic.
Writing for the online magazine Slate, Ben Yagoda has a suprising, detailed critique of Kakutani as a stylistic bore with a thumbs up/thumbs down critical mentality. Read it here.
(I had to look up the word "dyslogistic" in the review. It means expressing disaproval.)
I've usually enjoyed Kakutani for having high standards. She's not afraid to trash a book. But I do think she's a bit stale. According to Yagoda, she's been reviewing books for the NYT for 25 years, which is probably why I think that. That's waaaaaaaaaay too long for anyone to write about a single topic, especially at a daily newspaper. I'm a big believer in beat shuffling, i.e. moving writers around to cover different topics on a regular basis. The longest someone should be on a beat is six years, or if they're really good, maybe 10 years. Giving people new challenges keeps things fresh for both the writers and the readers.
Who is this critic's critic, Mr. Yagoda? I'm not sure. The author's note says he is the author of The Sound on the Page: Style and Voice in Writing. I'm going to have to look into that book, it piques my interest already.
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"The Sound on the Page" is a terrific book, rich with anecdotes, interviews and observations about writing. Yagoda interviewed 50 or so of the best living writers and he conveys their insights in a lively and conversational manner that does them justice. Cool jacket, too. Highly recommended.
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