A Word from LAR’s New Book Reviews Editor

These are exciting times in publishing—and I’m not even talking about the digitalization of the industry and the future of printed books. Criticism of novels, poetry and non-fiction is exploring several avenues, challenging mainstream and traditional attitudes towards writing, and seeking new connections between the written word and human perception and understanding. As the new Book Reviews Editor for The Los Angeles Review, working with a team of editors who are open to new forms and critical responses, it’s fun and fulfilling to be part of this time in publishing.

But just because we are interested in literature’s explorations into new ground doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate the beauty of a traditionally written poem, short story, novel, or non-fiction work. Reviews in our journal will cover these books and collections as well as forays into more experimental and occasionally controversial areas. The goal is for the reviews section of LAR is to be both entertaining and an important source of information about literary trends and thought.

I’m lucky to have inherited (from Kelly Davio, now LAR’s Managing Editor) a group of experienced and talented book reviewers who understand the field of criticism. Even better, each of them conveys these concepts to readers, and writes in a style that is, in itself, a form of literature. I’m looking forward to working with them.

But there’s always room for a few more. The number of books we receive for review is greater than we can handle, and it’s growing. If you are interested in writing book reviews for LAR (and have some review experience), please send your qualifications to me at lareview.bookreviews@gmail.com.

–Joe Ponepinto