The founding editor of the Washington Monthly, Charlie Peters, died on November 23 at 96. While we celebrate Charlie’s life, his wife Beth asks that friends and supporters please honor his memory with a donation to the Washington Monthly.
Below are some of the many tributes to Charlie that have appeared here and elsewhere.
“Why Charlie Peters Matters” by James Fallows in the Washington Monthly. “The ideas and example of the Washington Monthly’s founder and editor-in-chief for 30 years, who died on Thanksgiving Day at 96, can play an ongoing and indispensable role in responding to our country’s deepest problems.”
“Charlie Peters Changed Journalism. How You Can Help Continue His Work.” By Steven Waldman in the Washington Monthly. “The part of Charlie’s vision that touched me most was his injunction against letting our writing be warped by our prior convictions or wanting to win approval (even unconsciously) from our own social group.”
“Charlie insisted that every article enfold The Big Three—reporting, thinking, and writing.” By Gregg Easterbook in the Washington Monthly. “Many rich people have started magazines and failed. Few of average means started a magazine and succeeded. Charlie did.”
“The Washington Monthly—contained the smartest, freshest, and often funniest writing about politics and government.” By Jonathan Alter in the Washington Monthly. “When I moved to Washington after graduation, I caught a glimpse of Charlie on the street, and he smiled again but—deep in thought—didn’t stop. I was not deterred.”
“Why Would Someone Give Me a Story Like This?” By Nicholas Thompson in the Washington Monthly. “He cared intensely about the country; the magazine was the tool he had to help; and his young editors had to shoulder the burden of getting the darn thing out.”
“Charles Peters, Founder of The Washington Monthly, Dies at 96,” by Robert D. McFadden in The New York Times. “His political journal challenged liberal and conservative orthodoxies for decades.”
“Remembering Charlie Peters” by Timothy Noah in The New Republic. “He was a passionate idealist, a New Deal Democrat who believed that an activist federal government had done great things in the past and could do great things in the future.”
“Charlie Peters and the Odyssey of Neoliberalism” by Robert Kuttner in American Prospect. “I have a certain affinity for founding editors of small magazines with large influence, especially ones that seek to challenge the conventional wisdom.”
“Charles Peters, Washington Monthly founder, dies at 96” by Timothy R. Smith in The Washington Post. “He vowed his magazine, a training ground for generations of reporters, would probe official Washington ‘the way that an anthropologist looks at a South Sea island.'”
“Charlie Peters, the man who tried to save Washington” by James Bennet in The Economist. “He believed that ruthlessly idealistic journalism would renew faith in government.”
“The significance of small news organizations” by Merrill Goozner in GoozNews (Substack). “The Washington Monthly, where I’ve found a home for some of my articles in recent years, spawned several generations of progressive journalists. You can help keep its founder’s legacy alive.”
“Playbook: Remembering Charlie Peters” by Ryan Lizza, Rachel Bade, and Eugene Daniels in Politico. “Even if you didn’t know Peters, you heard a lot about him. He was this lovable rascal from West Virginia who adored Negronis (decades before they were cool again). He could be a tad challenging to work for and was famous for his “rain dances” — editing suggestions delivered with love, though at a high volume.”
“Redburn Reads, Dec. 3, 2023 (Charlie Peters edition)” by Tom Redburn. “I ended up a newspaper reporter and editor largely because of Charlie Peters, the legendary, lovable and curmudgeonly founder and editor of The Washington Monthly.”
“How Washington Really Works: Charlie Peters and the Washington Monthly,” a documentary short (30:11). A film about a man, a magazine and the media, “How Washington Really Works” is a 30-minute documentary about Charles Peters, the founding editor of the Washington Monthly. It was awarded a $15,000 completion grant by the Schumann Media Center, July 2013.
“The Washington Monthly’s Impact,” 2019. A short film featuring interviews with James Bennett, Haley Edwards, Joshua Green, Nicholas Lemann, Michelle Cottle, James Fallows, Jonathan Alter, and David Ignatius.
