Enchanting. Mysterious. Riveting. Book blurbs have been a mainstay in publishing, designed to persuade readers to pick up a book. But now, some authors and publishers are opting to forgo them.

Poets tend to write the most striking blurbs — Anne ... celebrity blurbs to pin like clanking medals on their book covers. A blurb from a Booker winner or a Stephen King is like currency in ...