What was your first job as a journalist?
I started by reviewing books for the Baltimore Sun.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes.
How is social media changing news?
They make news immediate. Daily papers offer old news.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Let me think about that one.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It means writing clearly and honestly.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I haven't seen any that are memorable.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email with a link to the book.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft Word, Books, Google. Library, Gale Reference Series.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter
Who do you wish followed you?
Pamela Paul, NYT Book Review Editor.
Why did you become a journalist?
I have strong opinions which I like to share. Plus I have always loved writing and reading.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did editing for my high school newspaper. I mainly was on the staff of my high school literary magazine.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
It was a review of a novel, "Les Jardin Des Plantes," which ran in the New York Times Books in Brief section (Feb. 3, 2002) for Dwight Garner
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Revise, Revise, Revise.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Morning is best, but anytime will work.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The book editor called me and asked me to write quarterly roundups for his newspaper.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I don't remember any bad ones. I may have forgotten since I have been a book reviewer since 1986.
What's your favorite drink?
White wine.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Sitting at the table reading a book.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Wall Street Journal
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That reviewing books is simple.
