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Dwight Garner

I try to expand the context of the books I write about, and to tease out the ideas in them. I hope to make fine distinctions rather than simply deliver a verdict. I believe that humor can sharpen an opinion, and brighten an observation. I dislike reviews that contain too much plot summary. I value honesty and straight talk.

I joined The Times in 1998 and spent a decade as an editor at the Book Review. Editing many of the best writers in the world helped me sharpen my sense of how a good review should sound, and in 2008, I moved over to become a book critic myself. Before joining The Times, I was a founding editor of Salon.com. I’ve also written reviews and essays for numerous publications. Often enough, I have written about food. My most recent book is “The Upstairs Delicatessen: On Eating, Reading, Reading About Eating and Eating While Reading.”

Book critics abide by the same exacting ethical standards as other Times journalists. (Those guidelines are public; you can read about them here.) For me, among other things, this means not sitting on prize committees, advising publishers or providing advance blurbs for books. I don’t review books by people I know. If I have had even a glancing acquaintance with someone whose book I might want to review, I discuss the details with my editors. I rarely go to book parties or other industry events.

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    Books of the Times

    Young, Cool, Coddled and Raised on the Internet

    The best stories in Honor Levy’s “My First Book” capture the quiet desperation of today’s smart set. But there is such a thing as publishing too soon.

    By Dwight Garner

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