Ron A. Austin

Ron A. Austin, an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Saint Louis University's College of Arts and Sciences, is a literary innovator blending postmodern techniques with African diaspora narratives. His work interrogates St. Louis' urban realities through speculative fiction and graphic narrative experimentation.

• B.A. (2007) and M.F.A. (2011) from Saint Louis University/University of Missouri-St. Louis
• 2016 Regional Arts Commission Fellow and 2017 Nilsen Prize winner

Ron's research bridges Postmodernism with Urban Gothic through hyperlocal narratives about North St. Louis. His publications demonstrate preoccupation with social justice, community dynamics, and mythological reimagining in contemporary fiction.

His 2019 Nilsen Prize-winning collection Avery Colt Is a Snake, a Thief, a Liar explores economic decline through hybrid forms and experimental storytelling. Ron's work has been featured in Black Warrior Review, Story Quarterly, and Ninth Letter.

• Nilsen Prize for a First Novel (2017)
• Regional Arts Commission Fellowship (2016)
• Pushcart Prize Special Mention (2015)