In this workshop, you will look at literary book reviewing from aesthetic, ethical, and practical angles, exploring possible approaches for reviewing and discovering what elements are useful in reviews. By examining and discussing samples of different kinds of reviews as well as writing your own, you will discover how writing reviews can help us in our creative practice.

“Some people have been unkind” is what Marilyn Monroe said about her critics. This workshop will look at literary book reviewing from aesthetic, ethical and practical angles. What are the possible approaches for reviewing? What makes for a useful review? How about an entertaining one? Is negative reviewing ethical? How can we balance judgment of quality with the limitations of personal taste? How might writing reviews help us in our creative practice? You’ll look at samples of different kinds of reviews, discuss the practical and business aspects of reviewing, do reviewing exercises, and write and critique your own book reviews.