Richard Russo (born July 15, 1949) is an American novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and teacher. Read full biography of Richard Russo →
I think a lot of what is going on with kids who get pushed too far and attempt either murder or suicide is that they are trying to deal with their... →
I think that if people are instructed about anything, it should be about the nature of cruelty. And about why people behave so cruelly to each other.... →
Even at its most perceptive, sociology deals in abstractions.
I don't think there's a shortage of material in the world. Or in my head. I just pray for continued good health, because I've got other... →
I have to have a character worth caring about. I tend not to start writing books about people I don't have a lot of sympathy for because I'm... →
People in small towns, much more than in cities, share a destiny.
HBO is really famous for hiring good people and staying out of their way until they ask for help, or need it. And that reputation is earned.
America has always been a nation of small places, and as we lose them, we're losing part of ourselves.
I never worry about people not taking my work seriously as a result of the humor. In the end, the comic's best trick is the illusion that comedy... →
A couple years ago, the novelist Russell Banks told me he was reading the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. I asked why. He said, 'Because... →
I looked back at some of my earlier published stories with genuine horror and remorse. I got thinking, How many extant copies might there be, who... →
I was pretty dead set against ever writing an academic novel. It's always been my view that there are already more than enough academic novels... →
At the risk of appearing disingenuous, I don't really think of myself as 'writing humor.' I'm simply reporting on the world I... →