Critics, Teachout, Mailer

Artists and audiences alike love to say they don’t pay attention to critics — but what newspaper would get rid of its movie reviews or its book page? Kurt Andersen and his guest, Washington Post critic Terry Teachout, talk about at the role of professional critics in the arts today. We hear rock singer Ryan Adams’ heartfelt message on the voicemail of a writer who panned him in the paper. And the reviewers who shape the reading habits of our children give us serious critiques of books like Everybody Poops.