Reviewers & Critics: Parul Sehgal of the New York Times Book Review

Parul Sehgal discusses her path to literary criticism, her passion for international literature, and today’s finest reviewers.
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Articles from Poet & Writers Magazine include material from the print edition plus exclusive online-only material.
Parul Sehgal discusses her path to literary criticism, her passion for international literature, and today’s finest reviewers.
Laura Miller discusses how she chooses books, the effect of the Internet on literary criticism, and her belief that reading is as profoundly creative as writing.
Lucetta Zaytoun discusses the process of self-publishing her debut memoir, It’s Already Tomorrow Here. A publicist and a publishing consultant offer their advice on design, distribution, and long-term marketing strategies to the author.
A writer considers the art, discomfort, and necessity of self-promotion, as well as its evolution in the digital age.
Anna Gosh answers readers’ questions—from why poetry agents are seemingly nonexistent to whether or not it is possible to be “too young to write.”
Steph Burt, acclaimed critic, poet, and Harvard professor, talks about their path to becoming a poetry critic, working as both a poet and a critic, and how the internet has greatly expanded the conversations surrounding poetry and poetics.
In a continuing series, Debra W. Englander consults an author and events manager, as well as a CEO of a book-marketing firm, to provide self-published author Jonathan R. Miller valuable book-industry advice on his novel The Two Levels.
What do Ann Patchett, Jeff Kinney, Louise Erdrich, and Judy Blume have in common? Aside from being best-selling authors, they are all also dedicated booksellers, each having opened independent bookstores of their own.
Los Angeles Times book editor Carolyn Kellogg talks MFAs, publishing optimism, and how she’s revolutionizing her new position in the shifting landscape of book reviews.
New York Times Book Review editor Pamela Paul shares her insights on the ethical and practical challenges of being the head of the last of the stand-alone newspaper book review sections.
Can the publishing industry’s traditional business model compete with today’s marketplace? The president of a technology advisory firm and self-published author tries to answer that question through an analyst’s lens. Literary agent Cynthia Zigmund and publicist Rob Nissen weigh in.
Indo-Caribbean poet Rajiv Mohabir on his debut collection and using language as identity and resistance while “feeling trapped inside a puzzle of ancestry.”
The latest installment of Reviewers & Critics features Michael Schaub, an incisive—and hilarious—literary critic and former Bookslut contributor.
A successful self-published novelist talks about how he used his background in programing and knowledge of artificial intelligence to write and market his best-selling techno thriller series. Editor Jessica Page Morrell and publicist Jessica Glenn weigh in and give advice to burgeoning self-publishers.
The agent of authors such as María Amparo Escandón and Joy Nicholson offers advice on query letters, editing, and what not to do when submitting a manuscript.
Alaska’s Fiddling Poet, who over the past twenty years has been playing his fiddle and reading poems for audiences across the country, talks about how he has built a career—and a life—out of touring and sharing his music and poetry with others.
Isaac Fitzgerald, editor of BuzzFeed Books, talks about the growth of the site’s book review section, what a typical day in the BuzzFeed office looks like, and how the Internet has changed the discourse around books.
Jennifer Day, the editor of the Chicago Tribune’s Sunday books section, Printer’s Row Journal, discusses her commitment to assembling the best literary criticism on both the local and national level.
Clayton Smith has self-published several books, including his latest novel, Apocalypticon, and used his experiences to cofound Dapper Press, a company that provides essential services like editing, design, and promotion to self-published authors. Editor Kim Bookless and publicist Lissy Peace weigh in on Smith’s process, and such self-publishing necessities.
Should you pay to have a manuscript edited beforehand? Are there benefits to querying via snail mail versus e-mail? Danielle Svetcov of Levine Greenberg Rostan answers readers’ questions about what (and what not) to do when trying to find an agent.
Ron Charles of the Washington Post and the Totally Hip Video Book Review series gives his insights on the ethical and practical challenges of being a book critic for a major newspaper.
A former radio executive writes about his behind-the-scenes experiences with rock stars, and puts his vast media expertise to work promoting the book. An editor and publicist weigh in.
The second installment of Reviewers & Critics features longtime book critic and culture essayist Roxane Gay, a true powerhouse in literary circles.
Through blogging, social media, newsletters, and book giveaways, a novelist teams up with the founder of WeGrowMedia to market her book—and show how making a personal connection with readers can go a long way towards making a book a best-seller.
In the inaugural installment of our new feature, Reviewers & Critics, New York Times book reviewer Dwight Garner talks about his experience as a critic—the required credentials (or lack thereof), how to cut through the hype, the role of negative reviews, and more.