Amid all the whining and hand-wringing among newspaper executives these days, it's nice to find a newspaper that is willing to take risks to connect with its readership. Ever since the levees broke in New Orleans, the Times-Picayune has shown what it takes to be a relevant, important voice in a community these days. (I can imagine my New Orleans friends rolling their eyes right now, but seriously, point to a paper in a midsize city that has done better.)

Well, now the Times-Picayune has scored even more points by bucking a disturbing trend and actually expanding its coverage of books. This is such a smart move for several reasons: 1) New Orleans has a vibrant literary scene that is alive right now, not stuck on the memory of Tennessee Williams or some other literary icon; 2) Susan Larson, the paper's book editor, is one of the country's best book reviewers; 3) People who read newspapers generally enjoy reading book reviews and book news, despite what the number crunchers may think. It's just that we're tired of lame book reviews. Larson and her team are bound to produce a superior product that will be read throughout the publishing industry, focus more attention on writers in New Orleans and raise the status of the city and the paper. Just give them time.