Reviews

As we explained in our piece covering the basics of review writing, not only is an “I” point of view “allowed” in cultural criticism, it is essential. Writers often directly address their audience, explaining how their own backgrounds or experiences with an artist, work, genre or topic influences their perspective. For example, this week, when…

Now read something written by a student. In her 2018 winning entry, Isabella Levine reviews “Anthem of the Peaceful Army,” the debut album by the rock band Greta Van Fleet. Here’s the sentence at the end of the first paragraph that best captures her opinion of the album: The seeds of a potential rock revival…

Below are some suggestions for helping students understand reviews, and the role of cultural criticism at The Times, in general. But we also hope students will find their own mentors by searching The Times or other media sources for reviews of the art and culture that matters most to them. 1. Compare: A Times and…