Stages & Pages

Stages & Pages began as school project . . . the moderators, L.A.B., are seniors at The University of Georgia. We are all studying journalism in the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. This blog is dedicated to providing a place to read thoughtful criticism on local arts as well as recent books. If you have any comments, suggestions or submissions (if submitting a book review please include a rating of 1-5) please send them to stagesandpages@gmail.com.

L's critic's manifesto:

A's critic's manifesto:

After taking this course I have learned to see things from a variety of viewpoints beyond my own. I also feel that I have become more aware of and capable of expressing my personal preferences in all aspects of life.

If I follow the path of critical writing there are a few things that I have learned from this class that I feel are of utmost importance. Foremost, I think it is important to consider the audience you are writing for and their needs and interests. While doing so, I believe that it is still possible to stay true to yourself and your personal biases as long as you present them clearly to your readers. Furthermore, I think it is important to do reporting, not just criticism. It is one thing to give your opinion on some work, but it takes a truly talented person to step back from their opinion and write the facts and acknowledge opposition to their personal opinion. Overall, I have learned that straightforward, honest and confident work is the best thing that I can put forth as a writer/critic.

From my perspective, I see the role of today’s critic simply being a point of reference. As younger generations begin to take on a larger role in society, prominent critics may take a backseat to peer reviews. Currently, many people refer to big name critics that they can relate to and have found to be cohesive with their own opinions. With the evolution of blogging and iReporting type methods in mainstream media outlets, the general population has become the critic. I find that criticism and reviewing are not very different because it is near impossible for any one person to write about an event without some personal bias being included. The influence that citizen journalism has on the world will continue to increase as more people turn to their peers for the news and opinions rather than mega media outlets.

I believe the face of arts and culture criticism will change drastically over the coming years. With the popularity of citizen journalism and blogging, I believe that more people will turn to familiar names and faces for opinions rather than faceless media outlets. By this, I mean that I expect smaller markets to prosper because hyperlocal criticism will be more popular. It is my understanding that people read the reviews of people they can relate to and trust. This means more local reviews from critics that are part of the community, rather than ones from big cities. I also see this being the path of criticism because of the tendency we each have to know what the locals think when we travel to some new city. Even now, I would never rely on someone from NY to tell me about the cuisine of south Georgia, so why would I be interested in their review? It is my belief that readers seek out the people they respect and acknowledge as being familiar with specific areas of culture.

Everyone has an opinion.

And if there is anything the blogosphere has taught traditional journalists and critics in the past decade, it is just that.

With the advent of blogs, the role of the critic has changed and probably will never be the same. Now, there is a wealth of differing opinions on almost any subject imaginable at the click of a button.

Some have greeted this form of citizen journalism with disdain, whereas others have embraced it with open arms. It is natural for critics to be leery of this technology that now lets anyone and everyone infringe on what was once considered to be only for “professionals.”

But there is a distinction between a mother blogging about the Lifetime movie she watched over the weekend and a serious student hoping to use thoughtful criticism to begin a career.
Thoughtful criticism entails more than just a quick review of who, what, when and where. Critics must dig deeper.

Yes, reporting the who, what, when and where is important, but it is not everything. An understanding of what is being reviewed is necessary and in many cases some kind of appreciation for the subject is needed.

I found book reviewing a much more rewarding experience than reviewing a musical performance. For me, reviewing a book is an intimate, personal experience that can relate to so many other things, making it much easier to draw on personal experiences or societal truisms.

To be a successful critic it is important to be aware of one’s surroundings and to have a watchful eye. This is especially important in settings such as concerts, theater performances and sometimes even movies.

Biases must always be apparent, which I found an easy task to accomplish. It is much easier to have an open dialogue with the reader if you are completely and utterly honest. I think it is the honesty and sense of passing on a type of wisdom that is the real appeal to being a critic.

It means something when you tell someone else that a particular event or product is or is not worth the time and money being asked for it. But it also means something to those responsible for that event or product.

Being a critic means you must be sensitive to the fact that behind every work is a person, and sometimes the critic must step back and realize the impact he or she could make in publishing their criticism.

Although traditional criticism in newspapers and magazines may one day be something of the past, I believe the need for thoughtful criticism will never die.

Technology changes many things, but normally it is just the vehicle to which thoughts and ideas are transmitted. Blogs may one day become the vehicle of choice for criticism, or some unknown technological advance may take over in its place.

Whatever the means, criticism and those who can thoughtfully criticize are and always will be needed.

-Brittany Cofer