On behalf of the staff and contributors, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Critique, a monthly review of books, magazines, and media. You'll also read insightful interviews with people who are making headlines and profiles of those who determine what—and who—makes the cut in publishing today. We promise it won't be boring.
         But more importantly, we promise to bring you quality content from independent sources. Our writers are not affiliated with the works they review. Our motto, integrity first, sums up the operating principle we hold most dear. Though short term gains might equal success on a fiscal level, long term operation is dependent on creating a trusted, dependable brand name. Critique's most valuable asset is the reliability of our reviewers.
         To that end, we present the mission statement:

"It is our belief that it is the job of the writer, insofar as he or she is capable, to tell the truth. We define the truth as the generally accepted moral limits of human reaction and interaction, and the ways in which normal tolerances are bent, stretched, and broken. To paraphrase John Gardner, it is both the job of the writer to make the writing work and to know what work that writing should do. Deviation from this formula of faithfully recording the instances of a life yields a less than acceptable product.
         "As critics, it is our job to judge to what extent the writer has been successful in his pursuit of those goals. We present in Critique the honest, considered opinions of people who are independent of the work they judge. You will not find fiscal or emotional alliances here. You will find a relationship between editor and reader, a friendship whose basis is trust.
         "Critique is charged with finding and reporting what merit is contained in a piece of writing. We will make these findings available to a mass audience in an archivable format."

If you find that these words are erroneous, please do not hesitate to bring it to my attention. I'll publish what you have to say—uncensored—in the "Letters to the Editor" section of the next edition. Likewise, if you find that you appreciate the content we deliver, please let us know; it will help keep Critique on track to becoming the Internet's premiere site for review and literary discussion. While you're here, sign up to receive Critique in PDF on the site's index page. Learn a little about the editors and writers on the staff page. And by all means, sit back, relax, and enjoy insightful commentary and criticism from some of the most talented writers on the web. Who knows? You may be one of the first to read about tomorrow's classics.

Best wishes,

Katherine Arline
Publisher
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