M/C Journal 'review' Issue Launched

Forgot to mention this earlier - I published the 'review' issue of M/C Journal the other week:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 30 October 2005

M/C - Media and Culture
is proud to present issue five in volume eight of

M/C Journal
http://journal.media-culture.org.au/

'review' - Edited by Emma Nelms, Kate Cuthbert, and Tim Milfull

Reviews occupy an uneasy position in society. There are those that argue that reviewing is an art in itself, that a well-written review stands alone. There are those that argue that reviewers enjoy a parasitic relationship, piggy-backing on another's creation. Still others see reviews as mere advertisements, one more cog in the publicity wheel. Regardless of which faction you support, however, it must be admitted that reviewing is fast becoming one of the most controversial forms of writing.

What is it about reviews that make them so popular (or unpopular) with consumers? Can a review really affect the way consumers act or feel? Why will people read the opinions of a reviewer they already dislike? What gives the critic the right to pass judgement on another person's work and when do we consider them suitably qualified to do so? At what point does one move from being 'Monday's expert' to a valid opinion-holder, whose views would be welcome in a wider public forum?

What is the difference between a run-of-the-mill review and a piece that offers a critical analysis of an art form; and why do some readers prefer one over the other? Is reviewing an art form, and when does a review merely provide a platform for the reviewer? This issue considers these and other aspects of 'review'.

  Feature Article
"Diary of a Film Reviewer: Intimate Reflections on Writing about the Screen for a Popular Audience"
  - Rochelle Siemienowicz
Rochelle Siemienowicz explores the power and the pressure of arts reviewing. As a film reviewer, Siemienowicz occasionally feels uncomfortable with her role. As she asks – who is the reviewer to tell us what to watch? Her exploration and justification for her choices are presented in a diary format, creating an informal, informed, and highly readable journey through her review process. The thoughtfulness demonstrated through the personal account of working as film editor for The Big Issue may well lead to a jump in sales for the not-for-profit magazine.

  Articles
"The Book Review as Closet Drama"
  - Matthew Bolton

"On Reviewing Don Quixote"
  - Will Noonan

"Creativity, Commodification, and the Making of a Middlebrow Book Review"
  - Jeffrey Charis-Carlson

"The Tortoise and the Hare"
  - Dean Biron

"Reviewing Symbolic Capital"
  - John-Paul Stephenson

"Reviewing the Scourge of Self-Plagiarism"
  - Lelia Green

"Inciting Reflection: A Short Manifesto for and Introduction to the Discursive Reviewing of the Arts"
  - Jonathan Marshall

"Eye of the Beholden: Reflections on the Role and Perception of the Arts Reviewer"
  - Barnaby Ralph

"Reviewing Gender"
  - Claudia Schippert

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Upcoming M/C Journal issues in 2005:

'affect' - article deadline: 21 Oct. 2005
          - release date:     16 Dec. 2005

Issues for 2006 will be announced shortly.

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M/C Journal 8.5 is now online: <http://journal.media-culture.org.au/>.
Previous issues of M/C Journal on various topics are also still available.

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Visit all three M/C publications at <http://www.media-culture.org.au/>.

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All contributors are available for media contacts: mc@media-culture.org.au.