The Critical Condition of Anne Holub

    As an opinionated rock fan and newcomer to the world of blog critiques, I found the Time Out Chicago article to be intriguing. Here in print, professional critics were talking about the art of criticism, something of which I am very interested in.  The magazine chose a panel of nine critics to chat about “what makes for good criticism”. Out of the nine, there was one critic who I seemed to identify with the most- editor of Gapers Block’s music blog, Anne Holub.

            Throughout the online conversation, Anne stood out with her witty comments and urge to question the standards. Anne, who doesn’t get paid to review music, believes anyone is qualified to be a critic if you are passionate. In response to the question, “Is passion more important than education?” Anne boldly states, “You have a passion for [the art]; otherwise, your simply not going to bother.” With the love for art comes the urge to enlighten yourself further into the spectrum you wish to evaluate- an enlightenment that may be a “lifelong pursuit”, says Anne.

            Anne considers the writer-reader relationship as a friendship, a connection that is built on trust. “It’s the same relationship you have with good friends,” Anne states, “Sometimes the disagreements are more fun than the agreements.” The writer-reader relationship is like an ongoing debate, one that is fun to engage in. And this debate is one that everyone can participate in, especially with the day and age of the blog.

            Anne views blogs as a “medium” for individuals (like myself!) who are not fortunate enough to write for giant magazines. She enjoys the web for it’s “wide-open spaces of writing”, but condemns it for its informality and anonymity, of which I concur.  Anne remarks that the blog world can be “dangerously anonymous at times.” If one has an opinion or rebuttal, do not be afraid to put it out there with your name!

            Overall, Anne seems to harmonize with her theory of criticism. She reviews music not for the money or popularity, but for her passion (especially considering she writes without pay). She holds her ground with her opinions, and isn’t afraid to comment on the parents who paid too much money for Hannah Montana tickets. Anne believes that reviewers started as readers, and seemingly wants to engage in a connection with her readers in order to encourage the next generation of critics.