For those of you interested in the trade of book reviewing, two links for you today. First, a multi-page report by Laura Hazard Owen about the future of reviewing online. I’m interviewed in the piece, which also includes thoughts from Mark Sarvas, James Mustich, Sarah Weinman and other online writers and editors.

And the new issue of Bookslut features an interview with the Washington Post’s Ron Charles, whose hysterical acceptance speech for an award at the last National Book Critics Circle ceremony brought down the house. Asked about the shrinking opportunities for professional reviewers, he says:

The number of books keeps rising, as far as I can tell. The number of readers is stable or stagnant or even declining. When you look at the amount of space we spend covering television… I’m not criticizing my own paper, I’m criticizing my own industry. Who needs help watching TV? Reviews of television shows, I shake my head; I can figure out if I want to watch The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm all by myself. But help me find a good novel, in this enormous stack of books at the book store. That’s a real service.