Life and Art

Essays

By: Richard Russo

Narrated by: Richard Russo

A marvelous new essay collection from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Somebody's Fool and The Destiny Thief

Life and Art—these are the twin subjects considered in Richard Russo’s thirteen masterful new essays—how they inform each other and how the stories we tell ourselves about both shape our understanding of the world around us. In “The Lives of Others,” he reflects on the implacable fact that writers use people, insisting that what matters, in the end, is how and for what purpose. How do you bridge the gap between what you know and what you don’t (and sometimes can’t) know? Why tell a story in the first place? What we don’t understand, Russo opines, is in fact the very thing that beckons to us. In “Stiff Neck,” he writes of the exasperating fault lines exposed within his own family as his wife’s sister and her husband—proudly unvaccinated—develop COVID. In “Triage,” he details with heartbreaking vividness the terror of seeing his seven-year-old grandson in critical condition. And in “Ghosts,” he revisits Gloversville, the town that gave rise to the now-legendary fictional town of North Bath, and confronts the specter of its richly populated past and its ghostly present.

Life and Art comprises sharp, tender, extraordinarily intimate reflections on work, culture, love, and family from one of the great writers of our time.

Critic reviews

"Russo scholars will devour this book. . . . Aspiring writers should appreciate the advice Russo doles out in these pages." —Associated Press

"If the essay is a dying art, Life and Art proves its enduring necessity. In an era where surface-level engagement dominates, Russo's collection insists that the essay still has the power to excavate, illuminate, and endure." —The Arkansas Democrat Gazette

“Russo’s skill as a storyteller is on full display.” —Publishers Weekly

“A welcome visit with a major contemporary writer.” —Library Journal

“Despite their brevity and transparency, Life and Art's insightful explorations offer more grist for contemplation than many longer and superficially more complex works.” —Shelf Awareness

Who we are.

Loved the way he takes items and words apart. He makes me really think why and what I believe.
Love his books!

Phenomenal writing!

I have enjoyed every thing I’ve ever read by Richard Russo, and these essays do not disappoint. Thoughtful, insightful , funny and heartwarming… he definitely hits all the bases. I absolutely promise, you will love them as much as I did. I don’t often read things twice, but this I know I will…

Appreciate Russ so as a novelist

Russo is among my favorite novelists. He shines less brightly as an essayist. When discussing his life, he is repetitive and he perseverates. He is pedantic and a little bit simplistic when discussing art. Nonetheless, there are some gems here that kept me coming back to listen after I took breaks. I still respect Russo and revisit his novels quite often.

Liberal Claptrap

Get ready for a huge dose of liberal orthodoxies. If you like that, kick it up a couple stars. For me, it was painful to hear such a smart guy believes so much BS. I still love Russo’s work - still my favorite novelist by far - but I really didn’t need a liberal lecture.