Page 2: A Good Reviewer is Hard to Find

Page 2 American Book Review American Book Review Founded 1977 by Ronald Sukenick Published at the School of Arts and Sciences, University of Houston–Victoria American Book Review specializes in reviews of frequently neglected published works of fiction, poetry, literary and cultural criticism from small, regional, university, ethnic, avant-garde, and women’s presses. ABR as a literary journal aims to project the sense of engagement that writers themselves feel about what is being published. It is edited and produced by writers for writers and the general public. Comment on its reviews is encouraged, as are suggestions for future reviews. Send all editorial correspondence or review copies to: American Book Review, University of Houston–Victoria, School of Arts and Sciences, 3007 N. Ben Wilson, Victoria, TX 77901-5731 Telephone: (361) 570-4100 Fax: (361) 570-4207 Email: alcornc@uhv.edu (Charles Alcorn, managing editor) Send all subscription correspondence to: American Book Review, University of Houston–Victoria, 3007 N. Ben Wilson, Victoria, TX 77901-5731 Telephone: (361) 570-4101 Email: americanbookreview@uhv.edu© 2008 by American Book Review ISSN 0149-9408. Covers and cover details used by permission. American Book Review appears bimonthly.Annual subscription rates are $24 for a one-year and $40 for a two-year individual subscription; $30 for a one-year institutional subscription; $35 for a one-year foreign, airmail subscription. American Book Review is published by its editors, and is made possible, in part, by generous support from the School of Arts and Sciences, University of Houston–Victoria and Friends of ABR. This project is also supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art. ABR is also a member of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses. Trade distribution by Ingram Periodicals, 18 Ingram Boulevard, La Vergne, TN 37086-7000; Hudson–RPM, 150 Black River Road, Worcester, MA 01607; and Armadillo, 7310 LaCienaga Blvd., Inglewood, CA90302. Indexed in Humanities International Complete, Book Review Index, Current Contents/Arts & Humanities, and Arts & Humanities Citation Index. http://americanbookreview.org Publisher: Editor: Managing Editor: Assistant Editor: Layout: Advertising Manager: Subscription Manager: Cover Image: Focus Editor: Publisher Emeritus: Associate Editors: Contributing Editors: Assistants: Jeffrey R. Di Leo Jeffrey R. Di Leo Charles Alcorn David C. Felts David C. Felts Charles Alcorn Susie Albert©Simone Bouyer, detail from“Audre Lorde” (1997), oil pastels on masonite Alexis Pauline Gumbs Charles B. Harris Mark Amerika, R.M. Berry, C. S. Giscombe, Larry McCaffery, Doug Nufer, Lance Olsen, Kevin Prufer, Rochelle Ratner, John Tytell, Barry Wallenstein, Eric Miles Williamson Rudolfo Anaya, Ron Arias, John Ashbery, Michael Bérubé, Rosellen Brown, Andrei Codrescu, William Demby, Rikki Ducornet, Raymond Federman, William Gass, Russell Hoover, Steve Katz, Clarence Major, Michael McClure, Joyce Carol Oates, Marjorie Perloff, Robert Peters, Corinne Robins, Charles Russell, Paul Schiavo, Barry Seiler, Charles Simic, Bruce Sterling, Regina Weinreich Nathan King Page 2 Alarge part of the duty of book review editors is finding good reviewers—a task that is more difficult than it may seem. In academia, book reviews are often either disdained as unworthy forms of publication or considered something to be done in-between other projects. Many humanities departments do not even regard reviews as scholarship. What motivation is there then for professors to set aside precious research time attending to an activity that is not even recognized as scholarship by their departments? Why publish something that makes no positive contribution to one’s progress toward tenure, promotion , or salary? Outside of academia, the situation is not much better. Competing demands on time coupled with low financial rewards for such writing leaves book review editors in the difficult position of having more worthy books for review than worthy reviewers. This is not difficult to imagine if you consider that 150,000 new titles are published every year. So great is the disinclination for qualified people to review books that it is not uncommon to have to ask two or three or four prospects before finding a willing reviewer. And even after the commitment is made, one still needs to motivate the person to actually complete the review. Far too many people commit to reviewing a book, but do not...