A report by Katie Robertson for New York Times.
Mr. Cruz has been Culture Editor at The Times since January 2018, leading arts and culture coverage.
The New York Times on Thursday named Gilbert Cruz its Books editor, tasking him with transforming the paper’s book review “for the digital age.”
Mr Cruz has been Culture Editor at The Times since January 2018, responsible for arts and culture coverage, including the Arts & Leisure press section of the Sunday paper.
Mr. Cruz replaces Pamela Paul, who was editor of The New York Times Book Review for nine years before becoming an Opinion columnist in April.
“A natural leader, he will push for provocative coverage and challenging ideas and bring fresh perspectives to our book reporting,” said a note to the editors Thursday, signed by Times editors Sam Sifton, Joe Kahn and Carolyn Ryan.
The Times publishes the nation’s last independent newspaper book review section, which has been in print since 1896.
The editors said Mr. Cruz would reimagine The New York Times Book Review, the weekly print section, for a digital audience. They said it would also “enhance and encourage our reporting and criticism of ideas and intellectual life, the publishing world and all that lives within it”, as well as help readers choose books to read.
Mr. Cruz started at The Times seven years ago as television editor. Before that, he was editorial director at Vulture, New York magazine’s culture site.
