This just in, from the Times: “James Wood, a senior editor at The New Republic, where he has been the literary critic for the past 12 years, is leaving to become a staff writer at The New Yorker…. At The New Yorker, he will be one of several staffers who write about books.” Congratulations, New Yorker—Wood is a gentleman and a scholar. I had the pleasure of working with him (and his wife, the talented Claire Messud) when I was an editor at the Newsday book section. First Ryan Lizza leaves TNR, now Wood; is this like an NBA trade, and next thing we hear two New Yorker staffers will be moving to Washington?