BYLINE AWARD
Charles P. Pierce, Jour ’75
Newtonville, Mass.
Charlie is innately curious. That curiosity has led him to write award-winning works of journalism for some of the country’s largest publications.
A writer-at-large for Esquire since 1997, Charlie lives out the Marquette mission by giving everything he writes the full measure of his talent — which is impressive given his prolific, nearly 45-year career. He updates his Esquire blog, “Politics with Charles P. Pierce,” as often as five times a day. He’s written four books, the most recent of which, Idiot America, became a national bestseller. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the LA Times Magazine, and the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine.
A Sports Illustrated article on the 1971 Marquette men’s basketball team first piqued Charlie’s interest in the university. After graduating, he went on to write for Sports Illustrated, among other sports publications. He was named a finalist for the Associated Press Sports Editor’s award for best column writing on several occasions.
At Marquette, Charlie found a mentor and friend in the late George Reedy, dean of what was then the School of Journalism. Dean Reedy taught him two valuable lessons: almost nothing he covers is truly unprecedented, and there is a history worth chasing in every event.
While Charlie is grateful for the recognition from his alma mater, he hopes the biggest impact it makes is on young journalists: “I’d like to think that my getting this award might encourage students who don’t feel like they fit in and show them that this profession still values ferocious eccentricity,” he says.
Fun Fact:
If you haven’t read any of Charlie’s work, you may have heard it. Charlie is an analyst on the weekly NPR’s sports program, Only A Game. He’s also appeared on the Stephanie Miller Show and the NPR game show, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me.