ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 10, 1995 TAG: 9512110012
SECTION: BOOKS PAGE: G-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
Almost 15 years ago - when nobody wrote on computers, everybody smoked and VCRs were a novelty - Paxton Davis turned the editorship of this book page over to me.
It's one of the best jobs anyone could have: separating the gems from the also-rans in the publishers' catalogues; trying to predict the reading public's taste; getting the right books to the right reviewers; week by week putting together a page that's interesting, provocative, funny and, at the same time, somehow reflects the shifting diversity of the book business.
Recently, though, other writing projects have expanded to take up more of my time, and so I'm handing over the reins to Mary Ann Johnson. Regular readers of the page know her name and her work. She's a fine writer who'll bring a fresh perspective to this corner of the literary world.
For my part, I'll still write reviews, and will look forward to reading the wonderful variety of opinions expressed here. Pax Davis understood just how important that "stable" of reviewers is to the book page. When he was in this position he wrote, "One can be exhausted by books yet continue to wallow in them, and I have and do; but to translate that into effective literary journalism has required the devoted services of a large, ever-changing corps of reviewers, volunteers all, whose copy has given this page its real and enduring distinction. I am awed by their dedication, touched by their loyalty and grateful for their services."
Pax, as usual, got it right.
LENGTH: Short : 35 linesby CNB