Nearly two weeks ago, we noted that Ana Marie Cox was receiving a particularly strong dose of NYT lovin', with two book reviews, a profile and her very own op-ed piece all in the space of five days. But that wasn't the end of it: in last Sunday's Book Review, Cox gets a free pass at Kate O'Beirne's Women Who Make the World Worse, a book that appears to be most notable for being published thirty years too late ("surely," Cox mocks, "anytime anyone recalls the deeds of Bella Abzug, an angel gets its wings").
And that's not the only book past its sell-by date in this week's Review. After all the flak last month for the tendency to lavish attention on Times staffers with books, there's Touré on Margo Jefferson's On Michael Jackson, which even he admits is "years late." (You can almost imagine the editorial meeting: "They think we like our coworkers' books too much? Well, this book stinks. Give it a two-column review.") Remember when Sam Tanenhaus told us he wanted the NYTBR to treat books as "news about the culture"? Some weeks it goes better than others. The biography issue on New Year's Day? That was a good week, because at least it was supposed to be a history lesson.
Of course, if the Review is actively looking for '70s memoribilia to feature, I've got just the book for them...