book review
The The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left Handed Poems Assignment Test Object Thing(ness)
1. Read this (this thing 1 cm. below)
P. J. O’Rourke, the political satirist, reviews in this issue a new book about Starbucks. He told us, in an e-mail exchange, how he brews his own reviews: “I read something I’m reviewing the same way I read other things except more so. That is, I already keep a commonplace book (a file folder, really) for quotations, ideas, information, etc. If I’m going to write a review I mark the work for myself, but besides underlining what interests me I also underline what — as far as I can tell — interested the author. By the time I’m done I have an outline for the review. All I have to do is figure out a smart-aleck lead sentence and a wiseacre ending.”1
2. Then read the “How to write a Book Review” article on the very next page. Yes, it is a bit long but the information is really quite good.
3. Over the week go to www.salon.com or to http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books read at least five reviews and then divide them into good and bad reviews. Think about the specific qualities that define the better ones. The article from step two of this process will be helpful at this point. At the end of the day a good book review sees an interesting pattern or spins your understanding of the book in a new and delightful way…and importantly is enjoyable to read (as a writer you need to have fun savaging the book, exploring it, dwelling on it, falling in love with it, etc.). Finally remember that your job is to convince a reader of the book’s relative merit.
4. Read this definition from the 17th century
Wit; a nimbleness of thought; a sense of fancy (imagination of a fantastic or whimsical nature); and originality in figures of speech
Then be witty
Then evoke the ghost of Orwell
Then write it
Then let it sit
Then edit it several times
6. Then hand it in the first week back from March Break 5.
How to Write a
1. Read this (this thing 1 cm. below)
P. J. O’Rourke, the political satirist, reviews in this issue a new book about Starbucks. He told us, in an e-mail exchange, how he brews his own reviews: “I read something I’m reviewing the same way I read other things except more so. That is, I already keep a commonplace book (a file folder, really) for quotations, ideas, information, etc. If I’m going to write a review I mark the work for myself, but besides underlining what interests me I also underline what — as far as I can tell — interested the author. By the time I’m done I have an outline for the review. All I have to do is figure out a smart-aleck lead sentence and a wiseacre ending.”1
2. Then read the “How to write a Book Review” article on the very next page. Yes, it is a bit long but the information is really quite good.
3. Over the week go to www.salon.com or to http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books read at least five reviews and then divide them into good and bad reviews. Think about the specific qualities that define the better ones. The article from step two of this process will be helpful at this point. At the end of the day a good book review sees an interesting pattern or spins your understanding of the book in a new and delightful way…and importantly is enjoyable to read (as a writer you need to have fun savaging the book, exploring it, dwelling on it, falling in love with it, etc.). Finally remember that your job is to convince a reader of the book’s relative merit.
4. Read this definition from the 17th century
Wit; a nimbleness of thought; a sense of fancy (imagination of a fantastic or whimsical nature); and originality in figures of speech
Then be witty
Then evoke the ghost of Orwell
Then write it
Then let it sit
Then edit it several times
6. Then hand it in the first week back from March Break 5.
How to Write a