Martin Levin on the role of the book review editors

Martin Levin was the popular (particularly at Book Expo Canada where we met) Books Editor at the (Toronto) Globe and Mail newspaper. We talk here about namesakes in Tolstoy, guilt, tragedy, sorrow at not being able to review anywhere near all worthy books, blockbusters syphoning money away from deserving titles, getting boys to read books, graphic novels, Canadian literature as post-colonial/nationalist; Cynthia Ozick, post-modern levelling, discerning value, the benefits of competition, the decline of book talk in print, and Thunder Bay, Ontario.