As a child, A.O. Scott dreamed of being a rock critic. After dropping out of graduate school, he worked as a book critic, and accidentally became a film critic when The New York Times hired him in 2000. Doubling down on that bizarre decision, the paper named him chief film critic in 2004, a title he currently shares with Manohla Dargis. Mr. Scott has continued to dabble in literary criticism for The Book Review (and occasionally for other publications) and writes for The Times Magazine whenever he can. He also makes frequent appearances on radio and television, especially during Oscar season.

In 2013 he returned to academia after a long hiatus, and is currently a distinguished professor of film criticism at Wesleyan University. He lectures widely on film and especially on the importance of criticism, which is the subject of his book “Better Living Through Criticism,” available from Penguin Books. When he is not watching movies or listening to music (and still dreaming of rock critic glory), Mr. Scott spends his time in Brooklyn and on a small island off the coast of Maine, cooking and enjoying the company of his wife, their two mostly grown children, and their dog.