Writer Anonymity
Editors Letters || Friday, 13 January, 2006
I'm interested to hear the thinking behind your strategy of anonymity for many of your writers and reviewers. They are often very critical and flippant about other people's work (as is clearly their right) and have no compunction naming the people they are slating. It seems rather chicken then to hide behind a pen name.
Dance could certainly do with more critical debate (a little more substance and less slating would be useful in some of your reviews).
My issue with your approach is that the people you are reviewing or critiquing have put their names to their work out in the public arena, and are prepared to take the kudos or the brickbats. Surely your contributors should be prepared to do the same?
Suzie Bell
Reviews in particular can cause a lot of problems, especially for a dancer trying to get a job or just work within a dance community that is, relatively speaking, very small.
If a particular piece is written under the 'Article19' banner then it is because a number of people have contributed to it.
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