Book Art Review is a criticism initiative from Center for Book Arts, developed over the last two years, to create a platform for critical writing about artists’ books. The projects include workshops, public talks, and a magazine. With the first issue publishing in March 2022 in print and online, this talk will consider the new approaches to book art criticism embodied in the essays and reviews in the first issue.

At this in person event, BAR editor Megan N. Liberty will introduce the theme of the first issue, "A New Manifesto for Book Art Criticism," and discuss some of the successes and challenges of encouraging new writers—new to criticism or new to book art—to answer the question, how is it a book?, one of the founding principles of BAR's approach to artists' book criticism.

Please note the following:

*Event attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination and a government-issued photo ID when arriving onsite for this event.

*Well-fitting face masks are required at all times while indoors at San Francisco Center for the Book.