Suffolk Reporter

Stony Brook University Distinguished Professor Rowan Ricardo Phillips has been honored with the 2025 Arts and Letters Award by the American Academy of Arts. The award recognizes creative contributions in various artistic fields, including architecture, art, writing, and composition.

“Art is its own reward,” remarked Professor Phillips. “But, even with that said, I feel honored to be in such fine company.”

The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a society dedicated to promoting interest in the arts. Since its establishment in 1941, the Arts and Letters Award has been granted annually to a select group of artists. This year, four architects, five artists, eight writers, and four composers received the $10,000 prize.

David Wrobel, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Stony Brook University, expressed his congratulations: “My sincere congratulations to Rowan Ricardo Phillips for yet another highly prestigious honor. This has been an exciting year of recognition for Rowan’s creative work. His book, Silver, recently made the longlist for both the National Book Award and for the Laurel Prize. Now, Rowan has been selected as one of eight writers across all genres to receive the Arts and Letters Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. We are so proud that Rowan is part of our intellectual and creative community. He is a brilliant ambassador for the Humanities at Stony Brook.”

Benedict Robinson, professor and chair of the Department of English at Stony Brook University added: “This is a significant honor from a very prestigious arts organization. The membership of the American Academy of Arts and Letters reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of all the arts in contemporary U.S., and the list of honorees being recognized this year includes some of the most significant contributors to contemporary art and culture. It’s a tremendous honor for the Department of English and for Stony Brook University as a whole. We’re extremely lucky to have Professor Phillips as a colleague and teacher.”

Phillips' previous works have also received acclaim; his poem "The First and Final Poem Is the Sun" was included in Best American Poetry 2024. He earned his doctorate from Brown University in 2003.

Throughout his career, Phillips has received numerous accolades including awards from PEN/ESPN Literary Sports Writing, Nicolás Guillén Outstanding Book Award among others.