Writers Rhian Ellis and J. Robert Lennon (pictured) have decided to close their literary review site, Ward Six. They founded the site four years ago, creating a “daily digest of book reviews, literary analysis, personal observations, anecdotes, and opinions.”
Here’s more from their final post: “John is writing more book reviews for print publications; this work is supposed to be free of any possible conflicts of interest. Carrying on dialogues with other writers here makes such impartiality hard to achieve. He will also, in the coming months, take over directorship of Cornell’s creative writing program, and is increasingly conscious of the possibility that readers will interpret his remarks on Ward Six as representative, somehow, of the institution he works for. But the main thing, aside from time, is that internet writing is stressful. We don’t blame writers, in the end, for their passionate advocacy of their own work online; the publishing industry is forcing them to do so.”
On Twitter, Lennon added: “in any event, I am certain to tweet more!”