Slander in A Book Review
The New York Times will seldom if ever publish a letter critical of its political views (highly liberal) or a writer/columnist. In the Book Review section a week ago a reviewer named Dwight Garner simply tried to annihilate Joseph Epstein, under the camouflage of critiquing his new autobiography/memoir, Never Say You’ve Had A Lucky Life. It was a mean-spirited, ad hominem attack, that should never have been allowed—in fact, the assignment never should have been given to him since he has such personal animosity toward the author. I can only assume it’s jealousy, since you could metaphorically see saliva on his printed words.
Epstein, in his 80s, is one of the greatest essayists and “person of letters” in the country. He is articulate, witty, non-political, and brashly candid about society. I wrote a letter to the Times which, of course, they have not printed. But now that I attempted that course of action, I’m sharing it here to get it into the public square to some degree. I despise both the toxic attempt to defame someone in public as much as the protectionism of the supposed “newspaper of record” which prints “all the news (they see) fit to print.”
“To the Editor:
“You provided 33 column-inches to allow Dwight Garner to eviscerate Joseph Epstein and his work (A Culture Warrior’s Last Swing, May 12) with a mean-spirited exegesis. Perhaps someone vaguely impartial should be given such assignments in the future. I will paraphrase part of Garner’s review, however: “Dwight Garner is no leading literary giant so long as Joseph Epstein walks the earth.” (If this reaches publication, be assured Epstein’s book is literate, fascinating, and provocative.)”
