Join us for the Kansas Authors Club District 5 monthly meeting on Saturday, August 8, 2015, at the Rockwell Branch Library in Wichita. The meeting runs from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Arlice Davenport, The Wichita Eagle book editor, will give a presentation on Reviewing Books for a Newspaper: Goals and Compromises. Davenport is a lifelong Wichitan and a longtime employee of The Wichita Eagle. Among his many duties, he has been The Eagle’s travel editor, faith & values editor, presentation editor (page design) and books editor. He is a graduate of Wichita State University, with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in liberal studies (emphasis in religion and literature). He and his wife Laura love to travel, especially to Europe. Next year will mark their 30th trip there. In addition to philosophy, religion and travel, Arlice’s interests include French language and culture, poetry, literary fiction and classical European literature.
Davenport will discuss the two primary reasons to review a book: literary excellence and existential illumination. While, according to him, the second category may sound imposing or pretentious, it means essentially casting new light on the human condition. Many genres can do this, of course, but they need to do it well. That’s where excellence comes into play: Books worth reviewing should be at the top of their form.
He will also talk about the practical limitations to publishing reviews in the newspaper, limitations that often force him to compromise his ideals. That's also where for the reader (or writer) frustration is likely to set in.To accommodate as many tastes in books as possible, he has learned to be more flexible in the content of the Books page. But that still means that not all books published by local authors, for instance, can be reviewed. Nor, for that matter, can all new releases in genre fiction, which he knows interests many readers locally and sells millions of copies nationwide.
Davenport will outline some of the limitations we face on the Books page, talk about the subjectivity of reviewing, then return to the idea of excellence, trying to analyze it a bit further. Then he will take questions.
Meetings are open to the public and free of charge. Hope to see you there.
Arlice Davenport, The Wichita Eagle book editor, will give a presentation on Reviewing Books for a Newspaper: Goals and Compromises. Davenport is a lifelong Wichitan and a longtime employee of The Wichita Eagle. Among his many duties, he has been The Eagle’s travel editor, faith & values editor, presentation editor (page design) and books editor. He is a graduate of Wichita State University, with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in liberal studies (emphasis in religion and literature). He and his wife Laura love to travel, especially to Europe. Next year will mark their 30th trip there. In addition to philosophy, religion and travel, Arlice’s interests include French language and culture, poetry, literary fiction and classical European literature.
Davenport will discuss the two primary reasons to review a book: literary excellence and existential illumination. While, according to him, the second category may sound imposing or pretentious, it means essentially casting new light on the human condition. Many genres can do this, of course, but they need to do it well. That’s where excellence comes into play: Books worth reviewing should be at the top of their form.
He will also talk about the practical limitations to publishing reviews in the newspaper, limitations that often force him to compromise his ideals. That's also where for the reader (or writer) frustration is likely to set in.To accommodate as many tastes in books as possible, he has learned to be more flexible in the content of the Books page. But that still means that not all books published by local authors, for instance, can be reviewed. Nor, for that matter, can all new releases in genre fiction, which he knows interests many readers locally and sells millions of copies nationwide.
Davenport will outline some of the limitations we face on the Books page, talk about the subjectivity of reviewing, then return to the idea of excellence, trying to analyze it a bit further. Then he will take questions.
Meetings are open to the public and free of charge. Hope to see you there.