Parul Sehgal
Brandon Taylor
A.O. Scott
Moderated by Halimah Marcus

Whether it’s the role of take-downs, accusations of smarm, writers rebutting their reviews, or the daily Twitter discourse, the role of criticism in our culture is complex, ever-changing, and seemingly always up for debate. The tools of criticism are evolving, too. Goodreads, Substack, and social media remove critics from an ivory tower and allow anyone to assume the mantle. New Yorker staff writer and former New York Times book critic Parul Sehgal, New York Times film critic A.O. Scott, and novelist-cum-critic Brandon Taylor will discuss these topics as well as their own pursuits of critical honesty and excellence. Moderated by Halimah Marcus. Their discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A. This event is part of Electric Lit’s Fall 2021 series, presented by Mount Saint Mary’s University.

Electric Literature's virtual salons are supported in part by the New York State Council on the Arts Literary Technical Assistance Program. With the support of LitTAP, we are able to offer 50 free tickets to each event for those for whom the ticket price presents a financial burden. To request a scholarship ticket, please email editors@electricliterature.com.

Everyone's a Critic