On behalf of the staff and contributors, it is
my pleasure to welcome you to Critique, a monthly review
of books, magazines, and media. You'll also read insightful interviews
with people who are making headlines and profiles of those who
determine what—and who—makes the cut in publishing today.
We promise it won't be boring.
But more importantly,
we promise to bring you quality content from independent sources.
Our writers are not affiliated with the works they review. Our
motto, integrity first, sums up the operating principle
we hold most dear. Though short term gains might equal success
on a fiscal level, long term operation is dependent on creating
a trusted, dependable brand name. Critique's most valuable
asset is the reliability of our reviewers.
To that end,
we present the mission statement:
"It is our belief that it is the job of the writer,
insofar as he or she is capable, to tell the truth. We define
the truth as the generally accepted moral limits of human reaction
and interaction, and the ways in which normal tolerances are
bent, stretched, and broken. To paraphrase John Gardner, it
is both the job of the writer to make the writing work and to
know what work that writing should do. Deviation from this formula
of faithfully recording the instances of a life yields a less
than acceptable product.
"As critics,
it is our job to judge to what extent the writer has been successful
in his pursuit of those goals. We present in Critique
the honest, considered opinions of people who are independent
of the work they judge. You will not find fiscal or emotional
alliances here. You will find a relationship between editor
and reader, a friendship whose basis is trust.
"Critique is
charged with finding and reporting what merit is contained in
a piece of writing. We will make these findings available to
a mass audience in an archivable format."
If you find that these words are erroneous, please
do not hesitate to bring it to my attention. I'll publish what
you have to say—uncensored—in the "Letters to the Editor"
section of the next edition. Likewise, if you find that you appreciate
the content we deliver, please let us know; it will help keep
Critique on track to becoming the Internet's premiere site
for review and literary discussion. While you're here, sign up
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a little about the editors and writers on the staff page. And
by all means, sit back, relax, and enjoy insightful commentary
and criticism from some of the most talented writers on the web.
Who knows? You may be one of the first to read about tomorrow's
classics.
Best
wishes,
Katherine Arline
Publisher
