"McNeil draws on a genealogy of African American thought to demonstrate that, far from being an atavistic curmudgeon, Armond White's agitation against bloggers and amateur pundits represents an important and misunderstood voice in the current critic-audience debate. In a world flooded with unconsidered punditry, White --- and .... other writers influenced by James Baldwin --- remind us that artful critics consider it a public duty to respond to works of art honestly and to question the motives of other artists and critics" (Mattias Frey, Senior Lecturer in Film, University of Kent)