Shelley Russell
asked
Richard Russo:
Hi there! Thanks for taking questions...such a fan of your work. Straight Man and Empire Falls...didn't want them to end. So many characters you've created have "stuck with me". Is there any character that you have identified more closely with? Which character felt most personal to you? Thanks and looking forward to your newest!
Richard Russo
Hi, Shelley. Thanks for the kind words. I wrote Empire Falls at a period in my life when I was terrified for the safety of my daughters. They were both great kids, but I was coming to understand that they had inner lives and there were things they could no longer share with their father. Also, real-world dangers I couldn't protect them from. I gave all that parental dread to Miles Roby in Empire, who'd gladly give up his life for his beloved daughter's, but also realizes that life won't give him that choice.
More Answered Questions
Caron Kamps Widden
asked
Richard Russo:
Loved Nobody's Fool (since I married into an upstate NY family and Sully was so familiar to me) and look forward to your sequel. Was there a particular moment when it occurred to you that there was a second novel to be written? Or was it something that came to you over time?
Mark Zaborowski
asked
Richard Russo:
Hello Mr. Russo. I'm a big fan of your writing, particularly your ability to make "ordinary" characters' lives so interesting. I have not found another author who can make the seemingly mundane life of a small town so fascinating. So my question to you is: can you recommend other authors that have styles similar to yours? Looking forward to reading your new novel.
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