Closure of the book review sections of the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution

John McMurtrie has been editor of the San Francisco Chronicle Book Review since October 2008, and in his three-month tenure has seen the world of publishing deteriorate.

With the closure of the book review sections of the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Chronicle is one of the few remaining papers with a stand-alone review. While McMurtrie tells Ghost Word that the top editors of the Chronicle are dedicated to keeping the review section intact, the economic pressures facing the publishing industry are intense.

2008 will be remembered as a year of upheaval and consolidation. In the Bay Area, two prominent independent bookstores — Cody’s and Stacey’s Books — closed or announced their imminent closure. A number of publishers, including Random House. Macmillan, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt laid off staff. The latter company also announced that it would put a moratorium on acquiring new books for now. Book sales were lower this holiday season.

Still, McMurtire has high hopes for the Chronicle Review. He has already made some provocative changes, such as asking independent bookstores to recommend interesting books each week. He is making the review more timely as well, by including news about Bay Area book deals, release parties, and author events.

McMurtrie lives in Oakland with his wife and two-year old twins. Here is a recent interview PTA shared with me and I thought I would share it with you:

Can you tell me a little about your background? How did you come to book reviewing? What is it you like about being a book critic?

JM: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years. My love of writing and newspapers and France (my mother was French) led to my first job, at the International Herald Tribune in Paris. (I was an editorial assistant, though a more accurate title might have been sports-agate monkey). This is my 10th year as an editor at the Chronicle. Before becoming the book editor, I regularly edited book reviews as an editor in the features section. I also wrote reviews as well as profiles of authors. And I’vedone freelance editing for book publishers.

What I love about journalism is the ability it gives you to learn a little bit about a lot of things – to be a generalist – and to try to share that knowledge. Being a book editor is an especially satisfying way to feed that curiosity. I can read up on any number of subjects – history, politics, film, food, fiction from around the world – and consider what’s of value for readers. I also like the challenge of finding the right people to review books. Part of the fun is trying new approaches – as an example, I recently assigned a book about golf in Ireland to a singer/songwriter who happens to be a golf fanatic.

In the end, if readers of the section come away feeling that they know a bit more about the world, if it gets them talking about ideas, perhaps feeling inspired, then I’m happy.

You have made some recent changes to the book review, such as adding recommendations from local bookstores and putting in some book news. What were you trying to do with these changes? Can readers expect other changes in the future?

I want the section to be about more than just reviews. I’ll be running more essays, interviews with authors, and the like. I’ve included weekly recommendations from independent bookstores because the people who work at these stores have such a wealth of knowledge that can benefit us all. Also, I’m a fan of indie bookstores – they’re a vital part of any community, and I believe in helping them. As for reporting book news, I thought it was important to help raise awareness of the vibrant literary scene in the Bay Area. Meantime, there’s a lot that’s happening in the publishing world these days (not all of it good, unfortunately) that I think readers would like to know about.

How do you balance reviewing local writers, particularly emerging writers, with running reviews of nationally-known authors?

No easy answer to that one – I decide on a case-by-case basis. For example, I recently made “Going to See the Elephant” the lead review in the section not just because it’s by a first-time local author, Rodes Fishburne, but also because it’s set in the city and full of local color. And it’s a fun read.

How do you decide which books will be reviewed?

I strive for a good balance of fiction and nonfiction, a wide range of subjects, and a variety of voices. Some books are easy assignments (of course I’m going to assign the latest John Updike), others might not be as obvious but, on a closer read, are surprisingly good (“Wildwood,” to name just one, by the late nature writer Roger Deakin).

Also, it’s a big world out there, and, speaking for myself, I’d like to read more by authors from beyond our shores.

Many other newspapers have eliminated their stand-alone book review sections. What do you see as the future of the SF Chronicle book review?

JW: It is sad what’s happening to book review sections across the country. My bosses tell me that our section is an important part of the newspaper, they understand its relevance to readers, so I remain optimistic about the future. And I intend to do all I can to make the section valuable, intelligent and engaging.

The Los Angeles Times, the New Yorker, the New York Times all have blogs about books. Will the Chronicle book review develop a web format?

JM: We’ve been discussing that. Watch this space, as they say.

Watch this space, too! I’ll be keeping you up to date as well!