Decades before Goodreads, there was Virginia Kirkus. After graduating from Vassar College in 1916, she was hired by the Harper & Brothers publishing firm. But by 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression, she was laid off.
Unsure of her future, she departed on a trip to Europe. On the return voyage, she had a revelation. She would start her own book reviewing service. She faced initial skepticism from publishers, book dealers, and libraries. At the launch of her business, she had only ten subscribers.
Kirkus hired a small staff and, together with them, reviewed upwards of 4,000 books a year. Her Kirkus’ Bookshop Service produced bi-monthly bulletins based on the galley proofs her agency received from publishers.
Libraries and booksellers found her reviews indispensable. By 1938, she was a groundbreaking pioneer in the publishing industry. Her Kirkus review of John Steinbeck’s Tortilla Flat helped propel him to fame.
See the Virginia Kirkus papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more.