Virginia Kirkus papers, 1931-1971

Virginia Kirkus, (1893-1980), was Vassar-educated writer and critic who began her editorial career in New York City at the "Pictorial Review", 1920-1922, then "McCalls'", 1922-1925. In 1925 she joined Harper & Brothers where she headed the children's department. In 1933 she established the Virginia Kirkus Bookshop Service which was a pre-publication book review service for publishers. Kirkus would receive advance galleys proofs from publishers which she would evaluate on literary merit and popular appeal. At the peak her service, 4,000 books were reviewed annually with a staff of three plus Kirkus. Kirkus served on the Advisory Board of the Armed Services Editions, 1941-1945. She also offered assistance to aspiring writers who wanted to publish their work. She was a strong resistor to censorship of books, particularly in 1952-1953. Her own published works included: "Woman's Birthright, Health in Body and Beauty in Person " (1924), "A House for the Week Ends" (1940), and "The First Book of Gardening" (1956). Kirkus was also a popular lecturer.