Going Her Own Direction

Critic and blogger Sarah Weinman devotes the first edition of her new Barnes & Noble Review column, “The Criminalist,” to William Hjortsberg’s classic 1978 novel, Falling Angel. And she adds this note in her blog:

As for the future direction of “The Criminalist,” the opening salvo should provide a clue to its dual linked aims: “to talk about new books that I love and hope others will love as well, and to shine a light on unjustly neglected books and authors from the past. My focus will always be crime, but it might not always be fiction, nor always for adults, nor books entirely in prose.” And expect a few other surprises as the column develops over the next little while, too.

Let me borrow here a quote from Mel Brooks, something he said to a very young and beautiful Frank Langella in The 12 Chairs, but that applies to Ms. Weinman as well: “You’re not only smart, you’re gorgeous, too.” Just check out the illustration (by Thea Brine) at the top of “The Criminalist.”