Five of those dismissed yesterday were senior arts editors, including Christgau, who had been a music critic for the paper on and off since 1969. The other three employees were design staff, including Art Director Minh Uong. In a statement, Village Voice Media describes the layoffs as an effort "to reconfigure the editorial department to place an emphasis on writers as opposed to editors." David Blum, who was named the editor of the Voice three weeks ago, tells The New York Times, "It wouldn't have been appropriate for me to weigh in on these decisions before I even took over the job." Blum's first day is September 12.
The Huffington Post notes that the most recent issue of Foreign Policy magazine inspires a touch of déjà vu: The cover has the same concept as one published by The Village Voice shortly after September 11. A spokesperson for Foreign Policy says "the similarities are a complete coincidence."
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Blum (pictured) is a veteran New York journalist who has worked at Esquire, New York magazine, and The New York Times Magazine. He is also an adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and the author of two books: Flash in the Pan: The Life and Death of an American Restaurant and Tick... Tick... Tick...: The Long Life and Turbulent Times of 60 Minutes. In a press release, Blum says, "I believe in the limitless possibilities of weeklies, and in the power of narrative journalism to change the way people think and feel. ... I want New Yorkers to read the Voice, and to be moved, entertained, amused, confronted and compelled by what it has to say." His first day at the Voice will be Sept. 12.
The Emperor's Children, a not-yet-released novel by Claire Messud, has three central characters, including a book critic for The Village Voice who also temps to pay the bills. Sara Eckel, a real-life book critic for The Village Voice, calls the novel "a hypnotic, moving read," even though the "characters may seem overly familiar and noxious (well, except for the Voice critic)."
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