Kenneth Turan


Kenneth Turan is an American retired film critic, author, and lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California.

Early life and education

Turan was raised in an observant Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. He received a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College and a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.

Career

Before becoming a film critic, Turan was a staff writer for The Washington Post.
In 1991, Turan became a film critic for The Los Angeles Times. In 1993, he was named the director of the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes.
Turan announced his retirement from The Los Angeles Times on March 25, 2020.
He is featured in the documentary discussing his public quarrel with film director James Cameron, who e-mailed the Los Angeles Times editors calling for Turan to be fired after he wrote a negative review of Titanic.
Turan founded the KUSC radio program Arts Alive. He provides regular movie reviews for NPR's Morning Edition and serves on the board of directors of the Yiddish Book Center.

Publications