Ron Charles
On this episode, Patti Callahan Henry & Mary Kay Andrews welcome prominent American literary critic and journalist Ron Charles, best known for his long tenure as the editor of Washington Post Book World. After more than a decade teaching American literature, Ron served for seven years as the book review editor and staff critic for The Christian Science Monitor. He was hired by The Washington Post in 2005, where he spent 21 years working as a book reviewer and the editor for Book World, becoming a leading voice in contemporary literary culture. After The Washington Post eliminated its book section in early 2026, Ron transitioned to independent journalism on Substack where he has quickly amassed nearly 40,000 subscribers. We are eager to talk to Ron about the rapidly shifting environment of books coverage and the future of how readers will discover new books in this changing landscape.
