1455’s Storyteller of the Year:
Ron Charles
Sean Murphy
1455’s Storyteller of the Year is an annual award given to an individual who epitomizes not only outstanding narrative skills, but whose work is particularly relevant to current events (In previous years 1455 has honored Jean Case and Lisa Ling).
Ron Charles writes about books and publishing for The Washington Post. Ron’s honors and awards include the 2008 National Book Critics Circle Award, 1st Place for A&E Coverage from the Society for Features Journalism (2011), the Louis Shores Award for reviewing, American Library Association, and the Veritas Media Award, Romance Writers of America. In addition, he was one of three jurors for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction.
Ron has developed a large, loyal following who count on his regular insights, recommendations, and always-impactful take on both the literary and cultural scenes in America—and beyond. Celebrating books and writers (as well as teachers and librarians, and the myriad forces that make our literary community viable), Ron ceaselessly connects the threads that run through our artistic and political discourse (of late, banned books, to name only one example), a service that has seldom been more vital.
Ron puts in the work, day by day and week by week, and that work is worthy of our respect and appreciation, but in addition to his passion and expertise, Ron has emerged as a role model for how to excel at an ostensibly old-fashioned job in a decidedly modern, complicated age: evolve. By embracing both industry trends and reality, with book reviews harder to find (and reviewers slowly going extinct), his “Totally Hip Book Review” illustrated ways critics can find—and engage—contemporary audiences. His weekly newsletter allows him to cover a lot of ground succinctly, which is at once shrewd and strategic, designed for an audience accustomed to sound bites and a quick “yay” or “nay.”
Ron should be acknowledged (and celebrated) for leaning into topical issues, helping enlighten readers to trends and developments that are impacting how art and artists connect. To state it directly, we are, like it or not, in a time where it’s not only impossible, but irresponsible to avoid political stances. Put another way, the same voices that tell us to leave politics out of any discussion of entertainment and art are themselves politically motivated. Make no mistake, there are powerful forces seeking to silence or intimidate not only writers, but people who critique or teach writing. With book bans making an unwelcome comeback, we not only need to support free expression, but make our voices heard in support of the arts.
1455’s stated mission is to celebrate storytelling and connect communities. We thank Ron Charles for remaining a positive force and inspiring us to be aware, get involved, and savor the power and purpose of art.
Ron Charles at StoryFestLive
Ron Charles writes about books and publishing for The Washington Post. For a dozen years, he enjoyed teaching American literature and critical theory in the Midwest. Before moving to the District, he edited the books section of the Christian Science Monitor in Boston. His wife is an English teacher and the cinematographer of their satirical series, “The Totally Hip Video Book Review.”
Website: washingtonpost.com/people/ron-charles
Facebook: @roncharles
Twitter: @roncharles
Sean Murphy is the Founder and Executive Director of 1455. He has been publishing fiction, poetry, reviews (of music, movie, book, food), and essays on the technology industry for almost twenty years. To learn more about Sean Murphy’s writing, please visit seanmurphy.net.
Website: seanmurphy.net
Twitter: @bullmurph
Instagram: @bullmurph
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorSeanMurphy
