January 21, 2009

New Washington Post ed, in effort to regain attention of people who like to, you know, read, may cut book section

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One of America’s two remaining stand-alone book sections, the Washington Post’s Book World, may be a goner. Editor Marie Arana left last year in a buy-out and has yet to be replaced, and now, according to a report on Politico by Michael Calderone, “As the Post restructures under executive editor Marcus Brauchli, it’s possible that Sunday’s Book World supplement could be shuttered in the process.” In fact, says Calderone, “High-level discussions about ending Book World have indeed taken place, according to a Post source with knowledge of the talks.” That would leave the New York Times Sunday Book Review as the sole remaining stand-alone.

Dennis Johnson is the founder of MobyLives, and the co-founder and co-publisher of Melville House.

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