Why Did This Daily Paper Let Its Arts Critic – Who Writes *250* Articles A Year – Go?

The Austin arts community is furious with the Austin American-Statesman, which decided to lay off Jeanne Claire van Ryzin, the paper’s full-time arts critic – and use freelancers instead. But, says the rival weekly, “The critic has a unique strength coming from 19 years on the beat, not only reporting but actively shaping the cultural landscape with access to the wide and the long views.”