LEWISTON —  The Lewiston Public Library will host literary critic Michael Magras at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, for a talk titled, “Book Reviewing in the Age of Social Media.” This free, public program will take place in Callahan Hall on the third floor of the library.

If you love not only to read books but also to talk about them, there’s never been a better time to be a voracious reader, according to a library news release. The number of books published worldwide each year is at an all-time high.

Although newspapers have reduced the number of pages dedicated to book reviewing, many critics are still writing thoughtful reviews. And with the advent of Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, The Millions, Electric Literature and dozens of other Internet and social media sites, more people are chatting and posting about books than ever before.

Magras will discuss what it’s like to be a book reviewer in the age of Facebook and Twitter. He’ll talk about his approach to reviewing, the titles he’s reviewed and the ways in which social media have led to the democratization of book discussions.

Magras’s essays and book criticism have appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, The Iowa Review, BookPage, Bookreporter, Down East Magazine, Vermont Magazine and other publications. 

FMI: 207-513-3135, [email protected].