“One of the nice things about our marriage, at least to my way of thinking, is that my wife and I no longer have to argue every thing through. We each know what the other will say, and so the saying becomes an unnecessary formality. No doubt some marriage counselor would explain to us that our problem is a failure to communicate, but to my way of thinking we've worked long and hard to achieve this silence, Lily's and mine, so fraught with mutual understanding.” ThinkingKnowsWayLongHardProblemUnderstandingSilenceDoubtNiceWifeAchieveMinesCommunicateMy WifeArguingMy WayNo DoubtMutualUnnecessaryWay Of ThinkingLiliesNice ThingsCounselorFormalityMutual Understanding Book:Straight Man Source: Straight Man
“When you don't know what to do, try something; if that doesn't work, try something else.” IfsKnowsTrying Author:Richard Russo
“Don't even the best and most fortunate of lives hint at other possibilities, at a different kind of sweetness and, yes, bitterness too? Isn't this why we can't help feeling cheated, even when we know we haven't been?” KnowsKindDifferentHelpingFeelingsHavensPossibilityFortunateBitternessDifferent KindsSweetnessHintsCheated Author:Richard Russo
“Which is why we have spouses and children and parents and colleagues and friends, because someone has to know us better than we know ourselves. We need them to tell us. We need them to say, "I know you, Al. You are not the kind of man who.” KnowsMenNeedsKindChildrenParentAlsColleaguesSpouseChildren And Parents Author:Richard Russo
“I told him the truth, that I loved him and didn't regret anything about our lives together. But do we ever 'tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God' as my father used to say, to those we love? Or even to ourselves? Don't even the best and most fortunate of lives hint at other possibilities, at a different kind of sweetness and, yes, bitterness too? Isn't this why we can't help feeling cheated, even when we know we haven't been?” KnowsKindDifferentWholeHelpingFeelingsTogetherUsedFatherOur LivesHavensPossibilityRegretFortunateHelp MeTelling The TruthBitternessDifferent KindsSweetnessHintsCheatedThose We LoveWhole TruthLife TogetherGod Help MeNothing But The Truth 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."” PeopleIfsThinkingKnowsMenFeelsLongMightLawTurnsDadLong TimeDignityPaidMilesShipsSophisticatedRhetoricSailWorthlessOld PeopleLong Time AgoBeardMax Author:Richard Russo
“A lot of my characters in all of my books have a self-destructive urge. They'll do precisely the thing that they know is wrong, take a perverse delight in doing the wrong thing.” KnowsBookSelfCharacterDelightDestructiveUrgesWrong ThingsSelf Destructive 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.” IfsKnowsWayWritingTryingKindDoeHappensFaithOrderNextSoundKnow HowHave FaithMystical Author:Richard Russo
“Since her retirement from teaching Miss Beryl's health had in many respects greatly improved, despite her advancing years. An eighth-grade classroom was an excellent place to snag whatever was in the air in the way of illness. Also depression, which, Miss Beryl believed, in conjunction with guilt, opened the door to illness. Miss Beryl didn't know any teachers who weren't habitually guilty and depressed-guilty they hadn't accomplished more with their students, depressed that very little more was possible.” KnowsWayYearsLittlesTeacherDoorsAirTeachingMissingStudentsGuiltIllnessDespiteGuiltyExcellentAccomplishedGradesRetirementClassroomAdvancingConjunctionsEighth Grade Book:Nobody's Fool Source: Nobody's Fool
