too close for the cold eye

A friend’s review: a freview.

show me your papers

Be ready to inspect the critic’s credentials at the border (before the review).

quote freely

I distrust a review that quotes too sparingly from the book. I know ‘fair use’ is an issue, but the reviewer should err on the side of overly ‘free use’.

reader perogative

If we had more spontaneous reading we’d need less obligatory reviewing.

easy pieces

Reviewing is cursory criticism.

not for free

A critic who had to buy the books he reviewed. No publisher would send him review copies. [Thinking of William Logan.]

never better

Every couple of years the famous poet would publish another book and the critics always said “He’s never been better,” as though that were a compliment.