Poets & Writers Magazine has a great article on literary criticism.
Clearly, critics and authors share a deep desire to maintain a culture that values reading and writing. “In the best of all possible worlds,” says Caldwell, “we’re all on the same side–toward the greater good of the novel or the cultural dialogue, or whatever you want to call it. “And while, as many admit, they sometimes fall short, critics, like all writers, seem to take their vocation seriously.