Publishers Weekly

Jerelle Kraus. Columbia Univ., $34.95 (320p) ISBN 978-0-231-13824-6

The enduring relevance of the New York Times op-ed illustrations are explicated with literary flair by Kraus, a former art director of the page, who contends that the groundbreaking pictures “changed the very purpose and potential of illustrations... to stir the political and cultural pot.” Episodic essays accompanied by illustrations re-create the battles between art directors and editors that have raged since the Times created the world’s first op-ed page in 1970.

The works of famous Times illustrators like Brad Holland and Roland Topor, are enriched by Kraus’s presentation of the controversies associated with their publication or rejection. The book serves as a chronicle of late 20th-century history, replete with sardonic images of tyrants and visual commentaries on the fall of communism; the works of Eastern Europeans who fled totalitarian regimes are some of the most challenging and resonant. In this overflowing treasure chest of ideas, politics and cultural critiques, Kraus proves that “art is dangerous” and sometimes necessarily so. 306 illus. (Nov.)

Art is not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of the New York Times, but it appears to play a very important journalistic role in communicating editorial ideas, even at a subconscious level.

Kraus, an art director at the Times for 30 years, provides a detailed analysis of the art on the Op-Ed page, from its inception in 1970 to today. The 306 images are arranged by decade, and the text is divided into short sections that focus on a variety of themes related to the images, the artists, and editorial practices.
Kraus draws on her 13 years as the art director of the Op-Ed page to share an insider's view of the editorial and political processes of the newspaper and includes images that were never published in the Times.
Using text and images, she shares her passion for visual communication. Readers will be entertained and come away with a deeper appreciation of the power of illustration. This book belongs in public libraries that subscribe to the Times and in most academic libraries.

— Judy Solberg, Seattle University Library