Why critics have a love-hate relationship with top 10 lists
A tradition can be sustained out of unbridled love or deadening obligation. The responsibilities required can summon gratitude or stir up dread, leave you energized or enervated.
Like the holidays, a critic’s top 10 list and other end-of-year features are a personal matter, like their approach to the medium they devour.
It’s a labor of love, straight-up labor or both. The lucky find joy in the aggravation.
“Interacting as a human being with art made by human beings is a good activity for your soul, your brain and your heart,” said Kate Tuttle, a longtime book reviewer who edits The Boston Globe’s book coverage.
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