PRESS RELEASE | DECEMBER 9, 2024

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — December 9, 2024 — The Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library(KVML) is honored to welcome Paul Hendrickson as our Honorary Program Chair for 2025. Hendrickson is an award-winning author, journalist, and educator whose remarkable career spans decades of literary achievement. He is a three-time finalist and one-time winner of the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Award, a finalist for the National Book Award, and the author of multiple acclaimed books, including the New York Times best seller Hemingway’s Boat. His most recent work, Fighting the Night: Iwo Jima, World War II, and a Flyer’s Life, was published in spring 2024 to widespread praise.

Hendrickson’s impressive legacy also includes 23 years as a staff writer at The Washington Post and a distinguished career in the University of Pennsylvania’s creative writing program. He has received numerous writing fellowships, including from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, further highlighting his incredible contributions to the literary and journalistic fields.

Hendrickson joins KVML during an exciting time, as we celebrate 2025 as our Year of the Journalist. This theme was chosen to honor Kurt Vonnegut’s beginnings as a journalist and to explore how those roots shaped his iconic writing style. Throughout the year, we’ll delve into the many facets of a journalist’s life and work while spotlighting books written by journalists. Hendrickson’s exceptional career as a journalist and author makes him an ideal Honorary Program Chair for this year-long celebration. He will play an integral role in many of KVML’s marquee events throughout the year, including:

• February 13-14: His first visit as Honorary Program Chair, speaking at Franklin College and KVML. Stay tuned for details!
• Juneteenth Celebrations: Exploring themes of freedom and equality through literature and community dialogue.
• Banned Books Week (Oct 5-11): A cornerstone of KVML’s free speech efforts.
• VonnegutFest (Nov 8-11): Our annual celebration of Kurt Vonnegut’s birthday and legacy. 

Get to know Hendrickson and his legacy from these two recent feature article:

• Former Washington Post reporter donates papers to William & Mary Libraries
• World Focus: A writer’s legacy finds a home at William & Mary

You can also watch a video introduction we shared during this year’s Night of Vonnegut Gala to learn more about Hendrickson and his extraordinary journey as a storyteller.

“I feel proud and honored to be able to help out in whatever way I can with the upcoming year’s journalism programs at the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library,” says Hendrickson. “The staff has been so welcoming. As for 2025 programs built on the theme of journalism and advocacy for freedom of speech, I am moved to say that the timing, in my view, could not be more apt or such programs needed.”

As we embrace the Year of the Journalist, we are honored to have Hendrickson join us in bringing KVML’s 2025 programs to life. His insights, shaped by years of storytelling in journalism and literature, will deepen our understanding of the critical role journalists play in our world. Keep an eye on our website for updates on these events and other exciting programming in 2025!