The other day, I was horrified to hear someone I like respond to the death of The Washington Post's "Book World" section by saying, "Well, I can just get reviews on Amazon."

That, of course, is a little like saying you don't need foie gras 'cause there's plenty of chicken livers to be had. Who needs Tolstoy!? We've got Robert James Waller! THANKS, AMAZON, FOR ALL THE LIT CRIT! So long, Updike!

I could go on, and will, at length, to understanding friends, like brilliant writer-critic-poet Lizzie Skurnick. Luckily, my friends are smarter, and more people listen to them, and in Lizzie's case, read them. So just go over there and shed your tears on The Old Hag.

Tags: The Old Hag, Lizzie Skurnick