Ron Block is the manager of our Middleburg Heights Branch and a co-host of the Friends and Fiction: Writers' Block podcast. Since he was young, reading and food have been his passions, and he brings those passions together in creative ways. In 2020, he was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker for developing culinary literacy programs for all ages. Ron also has the distinction of being the first librarian to serve as a judge for the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Awards.

6 QUESTIONS WITH RON

How did you get involved with the Friends and Fiction: Writers’ Block podcast?

I’ve collaborated with many authors over the years, but there are four that I’ve gotten to know really well – Mary Kay Andrews, Patti Callahan Henry, Kristin Harmel and Kristy Woodson Harvey. During the pandemic, the four of them decided they needed to do something to reach out to readers and support independent bookstores. They started hosting a weekly happy hour show on Facebook Live and it really took off. It got so popular that they decided to start a podcast, but they wanted someone to host it with them – and they thought of me. The rest is history. I’ve been involved with Friends and Fiction now for about three years.

How would you describe Writer’s Block?

Writer’s Block is a deep dive into the craft of storytelling. It’s not just fiction stories though. We've had nonfiction writers and musicians on the show. Sometimes we even talk about cooking, but everything is a story. One of my favorite moments on the podcast so far was actually an episode I did with two Nashville singer-songwriters, Kim Richey and Gretchen Peters. Kim has become a friend of mine over the years and I met Gretchen through her. They’re both great storytellers and it comes through their music. They actually performed live on that episode, and it just gave me goosebumps. Listeners loved it too.

You’ve interviewed a lot of authors in your career. Do you have a favorite?

It’s difficult to choose a favorite, but I can highlight a few. Before I moved to Ohio, I did an event with Adriana Trigiani that kind of started the ball rolling for me in terms of connecting with authors. Over the last few years I’ve been honored to interview former FBI director James Comey, Harlan Coben, Lisa Scottoline and Elin Hilderbrand. It’s been a who’s who of amazing writers.

You serve on the board of the Cleveland Independents Restaurant Group and spearheaded culinary literacy programs at CCPL. Where does your passion for food come from?

Like a lot of people, my love for food and cooking comes from my grandmother. She was the center of our family, and she taught me so many things about what plants you could eat and what flavors go together. Early in her life she suffered from polio, and it led her to turn her passion to food and music. She’s where my love of cooking started, and it has just grown from there.

What was it like being a judge for the James Beard Cookbook Awards?

Judging the James Beard Cookbook Awards was the greatest gig of my life. I'm told I'm the first librarian ever to serve on the judging committee. It was just amazing to read and evaluate the books and be part of the whole process. There was a lot of taste-testing too! I was invited to the culminating event, which was a big award ceremony in New York City. Just about every major chef that you can think of was there. It was just unbelievable.

What’s something more people should know about CCPL?

We do so many great things – food programs, food distributions, Student Success Centers. I have worked at other libraries and I’m very, very impressed at how innovative we are at CCPL. So many things that you see other libraries doing all over the country started here in Cuyahoga County.