Maureen Corrigan Featured in Poets & Writers, Talks Fresh Air and Becoming a Book Critic

Maureen Corrigan was recently interviewed by Michael Taeckens for a Poets & Writers article where she expands upon her journey to becoming a book critic from her days in the PhD English program at Penn and gives us a peak into her literary analysis process.

Referencing the tenure of her time as NPR’s Fresh Air book critic, Corrigan explains that in the beginning “Fresh Air asked if I would like to do some occasional book reviews.” These occasional reviews turned into more frequent segments, and now “[i]t’s been almost thirty years and I can’t imagine a more wonderful job for a book critic. Every week I review books for our audience of almost 7 million people.”

One of Corrigan’s favorite things about Fresh Air is the flexibility, saying “We’re always on the lookout for something fresh, so that we’re not just reviewing the same old, same old.” And she’s “always looking for “the best that is known and thought in the world”—by as diverse a group of writers as I can find.”

Thanks for sharing a glimpse into the life of a book critic with us, Maureen!