It was, I can assure you, both an honor and delight to moderate this discussion on (obligatory quotation marks) “the role of the critic” but, of course, this also involved some good origin stories, some insight on the current state of affairs (political, literary, cultural, etc.), and mostly a ceaseless gesture of solidarity.
This was a collaborative joint, sponsored by George Mason University’s Alan Cheuse International Writers Center, and (Much more about the Cheuse Center, here. Check out my conversation with Bill Miller & Leeya Mehta, here(will also embed at end of this post).
Anyone who follows me knows I’m a huge fan of national treasure Ron Charles (he was the 1455 Storyteller of the Year in 2022—a title he can hold in perpetuity as far as I’m concerned. You can see the conversation from our StoryFest here). I’m also a HUGE fan of Holly Smith, who is editor-in-chief of the invaluable Washington Independent Review of Books and I will collaborate/support her and that team all day every day. And as you might imagine, I’m not only a fan of Michael Dirda, I literally used to copy excerpts from his weekly reviews (Washington Post Book World, RIP) in my journals in the ‘90s and early-to-mid ‘00s.
Here, equal parts opening salvo and personal mission statement, and shout-out to Alan, is my written intro, which I’m happy to share.
I’m so grateful to the Cheuse Center for hosting these events, and of course I’m honored to be part of this celebration. I’d be remiss to not make note of the fact that, as a wide-eyed and eager undergraduate who was quickly figuring out reading and writing were not only the two things I loved most, but really the only two things I was good at. As such, I had plenty of heroes, most of whom were inaccessible or dead. Alan’s reputation at GMU preceded him and he was a godlike figure on campus. As I matured, I further understood he wasn’t just a writer or a professor; he was a presence. He evangelized for the art form, and he was of the world. Without realizing it, I was mapping out my own modest aspirations, as both writer and literary citizen, and Alan can be celebrated as the Platonic ideal (critic, writer, reader, professor, human being): for certain types of folks, this requires being an active participant, it obliges us to write, read, and react. That’s how creativity becomes a meaningful, enduring part of culture, and so much can/should/must follow.
I suspect the first, most important question is: why become a critic. It goes beyond passion and ability; there’s a desire to make connections, to engage with tradition. Alan, like any meaningful critic, wanted people to read but he also—and I think we’re all carrying this torch—want the act of reading to matter, the process of studying and savoring literature to mean something. Everything we do, I imagine, flows from this primary impulse.
Please enjoy, and share, this awesome discussion!
Holly Smith is editor-in-chief of the Washington Independent Review of Books, as well as a college lecturer, longtime freelance writer, and proud “Jeopardy!” bronze medalist. Prior to joining the Independent in 2013, she was managing editor of Maryland Life magazine. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, CNBC.com, USA Today Travel’s 10Best, Salon, More Mirth of a Nation, Brain, Child, and elsewhere. She also co-authored the travel guide Seafood Lover’s Chesapeake Bay, which is ironic since she doesn’t eat fish. Find her on Bluesky at @HSmithWrites.
Michael Dirda is a Pulitzer Prize-winning literary journalist and the author of five collections of essays: Readings, Bound to Please, Book by Book, Classics for Pleasure and Browsings. Other works include the memoir, An Open Book, which received the Ohioana Award for nonfiction, and the Edgar Award-winning On Conan Doyle. His next book, The Great Age of Storytelling – an appreciation of popular fiction in Britain between 1880 and 1930 – will be out later this year. From 1978 until 2026, Dirda worked for The Washington Post Book World, first as an editor, then as a weekly book columnist.
Ron Charles was a book critic at The Christian Science Monitor and The Washington Post. He now writes about books on Substack. He and his wife, an English teacher, live in Bethesda. Ron Charles is now on Substack.
