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Famous Critics

Notable critics have illuminated and challenged the worlds they examine, sharpening public conversation and deepening understanding. Their ranks span writers refining literary taste, philosophers testing assumptions and ethics, artists interrogating form and meaning, and civic leaders evaluating institutions, media, and policy. Some shaped movements, others clarified standards, all helping audiences see with greater clarity and care. Their analysis, skepticism, and vision have guided debates across eras and disciplines, celebrating the craft of critique as a vital force in culture.
Author Nationality Year
Ada Louise Huxtable American 1921 - 2013
Aleister Crowley English 1875 - 1947
Alexander Woollcott American 1887 - 1942
Alfred Kazin American 1915 - 1998
Alphonse Karr French 1808 - 1890
Anatole Broyard American 1920 - 1990
Andrea Dworkin, Tiny Andrea Dworkin American 1946 - 2005
Barbara Johnson American
Bell Hooks American 1952 - 2021
Brendan Gill American 1914 - 1997
Brooks Atkinson American 1894 - 1984
Carl Clinton Van Doren, Tiny Carl Clinton Van Doren American 1885 - 1950
Charles Lamb, Tiny Charles Lamb English 1775 - 1834
Chris Morris British 1965
Chuck Klosterman American 1972
Clive Bell English 1881 - 1964
E. T. A. Hoffmann German 1776 - 1822
Edmund Wilson, Tiny Edmund Wilson American 1895 - 1972
Edward Dowden Irish 1843 - 1913
Elizabeth Hardwick American 1916 - 2007
Ernest Hello French
Ernest Newman English 1868 - 1959
F. L. Lucas English 1894 - 1967
Fredric Jameson American 1934
Gene Siskel American 1946 - 1999
Georg Brandes Danish 1842 - 1927
George Edward Woodberry American 1855 - 1930
George Steiner American 1929 - 2020
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing German 1729 - 1781
Harold Bloom, Tiny Harold Bloom American 1930 - 2019
Harry Knowles American 1971
Henry Louis Gates American 1950
Henry Seidel Canby American 1878 - 1961
Hippolyte Taine French 1828 - 1893
Irving Babbitt American 1865 - 1933
Isaac Goldberg American 1887 - 1938
James Agate English 1877 - 1947
James Wolcott American
Joe Bob Briggs American 1953
Joel Siegel American 1943 - 2007
John Churton Collins, Tiny John Churton Collins English 1848 - 1908
John Mason Brown American 1900 - 1969
John Simon American 1925 - 2019
John T. Flynn American 1882 - 1964
Kenneth Tynan English 1927 - 1980
Leon Edel American 1907 - 1997
Leonard Maltin, Tiny Leonard Maltin American 1950
Leslie Fiedler American 1917 - 2003
Lester Bangs American 1948 - 1982
Lionel Trilling American 1905 - 1975
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