Our popular review-writing webinars are back on July 16 and 17!

Outside of formal educational settings, there aren't many resources for ordinary working writers who want to practice cultural critique, or for artists and audiences who want to look inside the critic's process. I learned the ropes over many years on the job myself, and now I want to open the door for others.

I launched my first Intro to review-writing webinar in late 2023, after realizing that I wanted to consolidate my advice for the many emerging writers we mentor here at BSR, alongside experienced arts journalists who regularly work with national outlets. The class was a hit, with many people registering from outside the BSR community.

But as I talked more with our writers, I realized there was still an unmet need. Some writers, even those with long careers, still felt nervous about diving into review-writing because they didn't know how it would feel to write negative things about the work they saw. I understand this challenge, but I also know the truth: if you're afraid to write a "bad" review, you have no business reviewing at all.

That's now BAD REVIEWS was born. I wanted to tell the truth about "bad" reviews, how to write them, why we all need them, and what it's really like to publish something that might make people mad. I first taught BAD REVIEWS last summer, and the session was...well, pretty good.

So we're offering both classes again, this time featuring Q&As with associate editor Kyle V. Hiller and critics An Nichols, Stephen Silver, Alix Rosenfeld, and Wendy Rosenfield. Intro to review-writing is happening on Wednesday, July 16 at 6:3pm ET, and BAD REVIEWS is happening on Thursday, July 17 at 6:30pm ET. Each class is about 90 minutes long, and they'll be held on Zoom.

Tickets are a suggested $25 donation (or $20 each you're taking both classes), but there's a pay-what-you-can option, so nobody is turned away for lack of funds. Take one class or both, and you'll come away with a toolbox for cultural critique, plus tips for working with editors, PR professionals, and arts venues.

Today in America, the knowhow of a cultural critic serves everyone, whether or not they work in the media. We must know how to evaluate what we see and hear, find the truth or the lie, and find the courage to speak up about it.

We hope you can join us for these classes! Register at the links below.

Into to review-writing: A webinar with the editors at BSR (July 16)

BAD REVIEWS: How to write them and why we need them (July 17)