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Richard Russo Quotes

Novelist

Richard Russo is an American novelist born on July 15, 1949. His works are known for their vivid portrayal of life in the American Midwest, earning him widespread acclaim for their nuanced emotions and profound social insight.

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All People Thinking Ifs World Writing Knows Novel Way Book Kind Heart Helping Stories Trying Character Ends Feelings I Can Looks Men

Famous Richard Russo Quotes

“To weigh and evaluate a vast grid of information, much of it meaningless, and to arrive at sensible, if erroneous, conclusions, is a skill not to be sneezed at.”

Ifs Information Skills Conclusion Meaningless Sensible Evaluate Grids

Book:Risk Pool

Source: Risk Pool

“Whatever you're working on, take small bites. The task will not be overwhelming if you can reduce it to its smallest component.”

Ifs Tasks Overwhelming Bites Smallest Components

Author:Richard Russo

“When you don't know what to do, try something; if that doesn't work, try something else.”

Ifs Knows Trying

Author:Richard Russo

“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. And what kind of satisfactions they derive from it. And why there is always a cost, and a price to be paid.”

People Ifs Thinking Should Kind Cost Paid Satisfaction Cruelty Behave

Author:Richard Russo

“I read pretty voraciously. If it's good, I don't care what it is.”

Ifs Care Beauty Don't Care I Don't Care

Author:Richard Russo

“If there's an enduring theme in my work, it's probably the effects of class on American life.”

Ifs Class Effects Endure Theme Working It American Life

Author:Richard Russo

“If you work at comedy too laboriously, you can kill what's funny in the joke.”

Ifs Comedy Jokes

Author:Richard Russo

“If my career continues along its current arc, people will probably look at me and see a writer who is obsessed with the relationship between rich and poor and with how the rich somehow or other always manage to betray the poor, even when they don't mean to.”

People Ifs Looks Mean Poor Careers Rich Currents Betrayal Manage Obsessed Betray Look At Me Betrayed Rich And Poor Arcs

Author:Richard Russo

“And there comes a time in your life when you realize that if you don't take the opportunity to be happy, you may never get another chance again.”

Ifs Life May Opportunity Realizing Chance There Comes A Time Another Chance

Author:Richard Russo

“"If you paid me for work," continued Max, whose rhetoric was more sophisticated than you might expect from a man with food in his beard, "I wouldn't have to feel worthless. There's not law says old people have to feel worthless all the while, you know. You paid me, I'd have some dignity." Now it was Mile's turn to nod and smile agreeably. "I think the dignity ship set sail a long time ago, Dad."”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men Feels Long Might Law Turns Dad Long Time Dignity Paid Miles Ships Sophisticated Rhetoric Sail Worthless Old People Long Time Ago Beard Max

Author:Richard Russo

“What if all everybody needed in the world was to be sure of one friend? What if you were the one, and you refused to say those simple words?”

Ifs World Simple Needed What If New Friendship One Friend Simple Words

Author:Richard Russo

“By ignoring a lot of American culture you can write more interesting stories. Unfortunately, if you were writing about America as it is, you'd be writing about a lot of people sitting in front of television sets.”

People Ifs Writing Stories America Culture Interesting Fronts Television Sitting American Culture Interesting Stories

Author:Richard Russo

“You just kind of have faith. If that sounds kind of mystical, it's because I really don't know how it works, but I trust that it does. I try to write the way I read, in order to find out what happens next.”

Ifs Knows Way Writing Trying Kind Doe Happens Faith Order Next Sound Know How Have Faith Mystical

Author:Richard Russo

“I just have this feeling that if it weren't for the Gloversville Free Library that I probably would not be a writer.”

Ifs Feelings Library

Author:Richard Russo

About the Author

Born: July 15, 1949
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 114

Books & Sources

Empire FallsRelated source material

Straight ManRelated source material

Nobody's FoolRelated source material

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Bridge of SighsRelated source material

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