“With any luck, Heaven itself will resemble a vast used bookstore, with a really good cafe in one corner, serving dark beer and kielbasa to keep up one's strength while browsing, and all around will be the kind of angels usually found in Victoria's Secret catalogs.”

American book critic

Michael Dirda is an American book critic. He worked at The Washington Post from 1978 to 2026 and has been a Fulbright Fellow. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1993. Dirda is best known for his literary criticism and reviewing, especially in print journalism. His career has centered on books and the reading life, and his work has been recognized with one of American journalism’s highest honors.