What do you think?
Rate this book
Life and Art: Essays
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 twelve 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.
Sharp, tender, extraordinarily intimate reflections on work, culture, love, and family from one of the great writers of our time.
Life and Art—these are the twin subjects considered in Richard Russo’s twelve 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.
Sharp, tender, extraordinarily intimate reflections on work, culture, love, and family from one of the great writers of our time.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2025
71 people are currently reading
4561 people want to read
About the author
Richard Russo
59 books4,821 followersRICHARD RUSSO is the author of seven previous novels; two collections of stories; and Elsewhere, a memoir. In 2002 he received the Pulitzer Prize for Empire Falls, which like Nobody’s Fool was adapted to film, in a multiple-award-winning HBO miniseries.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
August 14, 2025
“What’s the best thing about being a storyteller?
That’s easy. You get to cheat…to live many lives, not just the one you’re born to.”
Sometimes reading certain books are like having conversations with best friends. Where we can talk so openly with each other. Like sharing about our greatest fears, or the sensitivities we have about our families.
This book of essays is called ‘Life and Art.’ And, that in a sense is the beauty of what this book is all about – Russo giving his readers an inside view into his writing process. How many authors do this for us? Giving us the feeling that we are his best friends. Important people to him, because we are his readers. The ones he intends on pleasing. Telling us about…
Life.
And, the art of the story.
How they both relate. How they both come to be. For him. And, in so doing, how it relates to us. The reader. Him essentially breaking down his writing process. For us. And, maybe for himself, too.
I loved being in the midst of “Life and Art” where he is telling it like it is in his honest and in-your-face kind-of-way. And, I love the way he shares with his open heart, too. So much so, that I have to believe his essays – stories, were cathartic for him.
I have been reading this book, in-between novels. And, as I finished the last page, I couldn’t help but be amazed by a sea of sticky notes staring back at me. Where was I going to place all the ‘quotes’ of what he said that stood out to me?
Well, as it so happens, I decided to add a few to the famous author’s Goodreads quotes pages. Please check out some of those below. Maybe some will have meaning for you, too? If so, click on the ones you like, and they will be added to your profile page, too.
So much of what he shared resonated with me. His discussion of his feelings, thoughts, observations, experiences, life in general, observations of others, America – yesterday – today – a probable future? …wow. I was so there with him.
So much about what Russo writes in his fiction I have truly appreciated. But certainly, this discussion in his essays were so – real and raw.
Of course, be-ing an open-minded reader helps. And, even if he isn’t writing from a political point-of-view, his writer’s perspective helps to showcase his observations with an open heart and directness. Which really is the first part of his essays – the life of the story.
I need to pause for a moment.
Interestingly enough, as I am reading this book on essays, Oprah just shared that his book, “Bridge of Sighs” was announced as her August 2025 book pick. Not that he needed her attention for anyone to read his book or books, but I am glad she chose him. “Bridge of Sighs” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... was originally published in 2007. It centered on small-town life in upstate New York. And, it certainly deserves a re-release. One I haven’t yet reviewed, but remember was a hit with our library book discussion group when we discussed it years ago.
Back to this book.
To be honest, I could feel everything he was discussing in his ‘life’ section as if it had personally happened to me, too. I think as readers connect with the subjects in his essays (particularly his discussions about the pandemic), I have a feeling it will hit some personal notes for some, too.
And then, there are the subjects of:
Anxiety. Family life experiences. The impacts of family life decisions on him as a person and his role as an author and playwright. And, how it affected him, and the creation of his characters. The perspective he brought to his stories/characters because of these observations/experiences.
And, then there is the second half of the book… the art of the story. What he refers to as “the lives of others.”
The character development.
“…The how of writing a story that requires some degree of transcendence: how do you go about bridging the gap between what you know and what you don’t and sometimes can’t?”
In other words, he may create a character based on someone he met, but now he embellishes that character so that it fits his narrative. And thus, a story is born.
The art. Of the story.
There is so much to appreciate about what Russo shares within these pages. It is like a masterclass in fiction writing for anyone who loves to write, or even read.
And, as we consider his words, we can be reminded about how much we are all touched by words and conversations. And, our humanity in feeling things. Deeply.
When we read books, we connect to characters for so many different reasons. Why not connect to an author, and appreciate their innerworkings, too.
Russo opened his personal door to readers through his essays by inviting us in. I recommend this book as a wonderful invitation into the mind of an author.
A couple of last notes.
Especially touching was his discussion about Paul Newman. Completely heart-felt. For all the right reasons. And, lastly his words about George Floyd. There is so much more for us to grow and learn as humans caring about others.
If you are unfamiliar with Richard Russo the author, or haven’t read him yet, consider picking up one of his books. Certainly, now that Oprah is recognizing him this month, might be a good time to start! My favorite will always be, “Straight Man.” Certainly, reading his book of essays is always recommended, too. Like this one.
That’s easy. You get to cheat…to live many lives, not just the one you’re born to.”
Sometimes reading certain books are like having conversations with best friends. Where we can talk so openly with each other. Like sharing about our greatest fears, or the sensitivities we have about our families.
This book of essays is called ‘Life and Art.’ And, that in a sense is the beauty of what this book is all about – Russo giving his readers an inside view into his writing process. How many authors do this for us? Giving us the feeling that we are his best friends. Important people to him, because we are his readers. The ones he intends on pleasing. Telling us about…
Life.
And, the art of the story.
How they both relate. How they both come to be. For him. And, in so doing, how it relates to us. The reader. Him essentially breaking down his writing process. For us. And, maybe for himself, too.
I loved being in the midst of “Life and Art” where he is telling it like it is in his honest and in-your-face kind-of-way. And, I love the way he shares with his open heart, too. So much so, that I have to believe his essays – stories, were cathartic for him.
I have been reading this book, in-between novels. And, as I finished the last page, I couldn’t help but be amazed by a sea of sticky notes staring back at me. Where was I going to place all the ‘quotes’ of what he said that stood out to me?
Well, as it so happens, I decided to add a few to the famous author’s Goodreads quotes pages. Please check out some of those below. Maybe some will have meaning for you, too? If so, click on the ones you like, and they will be added to your profile page, too.
So much of what he shared resonated with me. His discussion of his feelings, thoughts, observations, experiences, life in general, observations of others, America – yesterday – today – a probable future? …wow. I was so there with him.
So much about what Russo writes in his fiction I have truly appreciated. But certainly, this discussion in his essays were so – real and raw.
Of course, be-ing an open-minded reader helps. And, even if he isn’t writing from a political point-of-view, his writer’s perspective helps to showcase his observations with an open heart and directness. Which really is the first part of his essays – the life of the story.
I need to pause for a moment.
Interestingly enough, as I am reading this book on essays, Oprah just shared that his book, “Bridge of Sighs” was announced as her August 2025 book pick. Not that he needed her attention for anyone to read his book or books, but I am glad she chose him. “Bridge of Sighs” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... was originally published in 2007. It centered on small-town life in upstate New York. And, it certainly deserves a re-release. One I haven’t yet reviewed, but remember was a hit with our library book discussion group when we discussed it years ago.
Back to this book.
To be honest, I could feel everything he was discussing in his ‘life’ section as if it had personally happened to me, too. I think as readers connect with the subjects in his essays (particularly his discussions about the pandemic), I have a feeling it will hit some personal notes for some, too.
And then, there are the subjects of:
Anxiety. Family life experiences. The impacts of family life decisions on him as a person and his role as an author and playwright. And, how it affected him, and the creation of his characters. The perspective he brought to his stories/characters because of these observations/experiences.
And, then there is the second half of the book… the art of the story. What he refers to as “the lives of others.”
The character development.
“…The how of writing a story that requires some degree of transcendence: how do you go about bridging the gap between what you know and what you don’t and sometimes can’t?”
In other words, he may create a character based on someone he met, but now he embellishes that character so that it fits his narrative. And thus, a story is born.
The art. Of the story.
There is so much to appreciate about what Russo shares within these pages. It is like a masterclass in fiction writing for anyone who loves to write, or even read.
And, as we consider his words, we can be reminded about how much we are all touched by words and conversations. And, our humanity in feeling things. Deeply.
When we read books, we connect to characters for so many different reasons. Why not connect to an author, and appreciate their innerworkings, too.
Russo opened his personal door to readers through his essays by inviting us in. I recommend this book as a wonderful invitation into the mind of an author.
A couple of last notes.
Especially touching was his discussion about Paul Newman. Completely heart-felt. For all the right reasons. And, lastly his words about George Floyd. There is so much more for us to grow and learn as humans caring about others.
If you are unfamiliar with Richard Russo the author, or haven’t read him yet, consider picking up one of his books. Certainly, now that Oprah is recognizing him this month, might be a good time to start! My favorite will always be, “Straight Man.” Certainly, reading his book of essays is always recommended, too. Like this one.
June 1, 2025
I love Richard Russo. In these essays, he writes frankly about his success, his childhood, his parents, and his views on what is going on in the world right now. It's enough that he created one of my favorite fictional characters of all time; Sully, in Nobody's Fool and the next two sequels, but I find his thinking closely aligns with mine.
His essay, The Future, is a brilliant observation of the movie Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid and how it relates to America's desire for going back to an earlier way of life when things were different versus the fact that there is no going back and the only way to get over difficulties is through them, one step at a time.
For Russo fans, this is a must. If you've never read him, start with Nobody's Fool and you'll be one too.
His essay, The Future, is a brilliant observation of the movie Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid and how it relates to America's desire for going back to an earlier way of life when things were different versus the fact that there is no going back and the only way to get over difficulties is through them, one step at a time.
For Russo fans, this is a must. If you've never read him, start with Nobody's Fool and you'll be one too.
May 9, 2025
Pre-Read notes
A lot of nonfiction got turned away from publishers amidst and immediately following Covid. People in the US just wanted to forget it and no one wanted to read about it. But I think these stories have a lot to offer readers, so I tend to enjoy them. I haven't read from Russo before but I'm looking forward to it!
Final Review
I’d been given the perfect parents and extended family, the perfect neighborhood and hometown, through which to examine my country’s myriad brutal contradictions. My childhood had not been a disadvantage at all. It would become my greatest strength if I only let it. p66
The essays don't distinguish themselves much from each other, but read together, they create an interesting quilt about being an adult in a post-Covid world in the rust belt. This is a political book, to some extent, but I like it! But a lot of readers are overwhelmed by politics right now, so be aware. Some excellent analysis of the author's book, Straight Man, that was turned into a movie, and about such translations into new form in general.
If you're a writer yourself or a reader of more literary books, I definitely recommend this for your TBR!
🖋️ Nice style. Engaging, warm, and accessible. Moody, a little dark in tone.
🧠 I love reading stories about mental illness written by writers who have knowledge about the subject from a place of experience. Insightful glimpses here.
🕰️ It's been very interesting to travel back in time 5 years with this book. This material feels a vulnerable kind of familiar, which is really enhancing the story for me.
TW: Covid, disease, poor health, divorce, financial strain, early life stress, poverty
A lot of nonfiction got turned away from publishers amidst and immediately following Covid. People in the US just wanted to forget it and no one wanted to read about it. But I think these stories have a lot to offer readers, so I tend to enjoy them. I haven't read from Russo before but I'm looking forward to it!
Final Review
I’d been given the perfect parents and extended family, the perfect neighborhood and hometown, through which to examine my country’s myriad brutal contradictions. My childhood had not been a disadvantage at all. It would become my greatest strength if I only let it. p66
The essays don't distinguish themselves much from each other, but read together, they create an interesting quilt about being an adult in a post-Covid world in the rust belt. This is a political book, to some extent, but I like it! But a lot of readers are overwhelmed by politics right now, so be aware. Some excellent analysis of the author's book, Straight Man, that was turned into a movie, and about such translations into new form in general.
If you're a writer yourself or a reader of more literary books, I definitely recommend this for your TBR!
🖋️ Nice style. Engaging, warm, and accessible. Moody, a little dark in tone.
🧠 I love reading stories about mental illness written by writers who have knowledge about the subject from a place of experience. Insightful glimpses here.
🕰️ It's been very interesting to travel back in time 5 years with this book. This material feels a vulnerable kind of familiar, which is really enhancing the story for me.
TW: Covid, disease, poor health, divorce, financial strain, early life stress, poverty
June 9, 2025
Rating: 3.75
A fan of Richard Russo's stories for ages, I eagerly awaited this compilation of essays. Short in length, he breaks them into two parts which is appropriate given their nature.
Regardless of the artist, learning their factual 'back story' can be enlightening, since personal elements tend to be the basis for narratives. Such is the case with Russo who grew up in a small town upstate NY which is where the majority of his stories take place. As the reader makes their way through the essays of varying lengths, it becomes clear that characters like Donald Sullivan, aka "Sully" from his best seller "Nobody's Fool" are based on his family as is the town he grew up.
Beyond the personal components, we get to see a deeper side; one that illuminates his 'progressive' outlook on politics, the pandemic and government. In the second part, essays are focused on his success, art of writing and collaboration with studios due to the adaptation of "Nobody's Fool" starring Paul Newman, the limited series of his Pulitzer winner, "Empire Falls" and "Lucky Hank" a television series based on "Straight Man".
Overall, its engaging though somewhat redundant due to the copious family back story elements. If you're a fan of Russo, I suggest you add it to your list
A fan of Richard Russo's stories for ages, I eagerly awaited this compilation of essays. Short in length, he breaks them into two parts which is appropriate given their nature.
Regardless of the artist, learning their factual 'back story' can be enlightening, since personal elements tend to be the basis for narratives. Such is the case with Russo who grew up in a small town upstate NY which is where the majority of his stories take place. As the reader makes their way through the essays of varying lengths, it becomes clear that characters like Donald Sullivan, aka "Sully" from his best seller "Nobody's Fool" are based on his family as is the town he grew up.
Beyond the personal components, we get to see a deeper side; one that illuminates his 'progressive' outlook on politics, the pandemic and government. In the second part, essays are focused on his success, art of writing and collaboration with studios due to the adaptation of "Nobody's Fool" starring Paul Newman, the limited series of his Pulitzer winner, "Empire Falls" and "Lucky Hank" a television series based on "Straight Man".
Overall, its engaging though somewhat redundant due to the copious family back story elements. If you're a fan of Russo, I suggest you add it to your list
September 30, 2025
Richard Russo has long been a favorite author since I happened to pick up Bridge of Sighs when I had this desire to read everything he had written. Life and Art: Essays is a collection of twelve essays where he skillfully in his own pithy way, explores the interconnectedness of life and art through personal reflections on family and culture and the stories that we tell, those family legends. This book, published in 2025, begins during the first Trump administration and focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic and the political machinations running rampant making taking the vaccine a political and fraught decision rather than trusting the science - Oh for God’s sake, take the new jab.
Life and art are wonderful subjects to write about as we see how they inform one another and how the stories that we tell, many handed down for generations, and how they shape our understanding of our world. Richard Russo reflects on these and other questions and themes as part of our cultural landscape as well as our need for stories to give some cohesion and meaning to our lives. This is a commentary about our historical and political background and how those forces have impacted our lives over the years. And one of my favorite quotes.
Life and art are wonderful subjects to write about as we see how they inform one another and how the stories that we tell, many handed down for generations, and how they shape our understanding of our world. Richard Russo reflects on these and other questions and themes as part of our cultural landscape as well as our need for stories to give some cohesion and meaning to our lives. This is a commentary about our historical and political background and how those forces have impacted our lives over the years. And one of my favorite quotes.
“It may not look like it until all three arrive in New York, but Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a Gilded Age tale, and it makes abundantly clear that to succeed in thievery, you need not to be a robber buf a ‘robber baron.’ You need to be like Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould and J.P. Morgan, men famous for their ruthlessness and lack of ethics.”
did-not-finish
June 13, 2025DNF @ 42% because I can't take the lack of nuance in the author's liberal boomer rhetoric. He takes for granted that America is terrible and Catholicism is silly, and he writes as though all of his readers obviously agree. I don't need to agree with the premise of an essay to enjoy it, but I do need an essay collection to feel like it's expressing new ideas and not just beating someone else's tired old drum. I don't align with Ann Patchett on these same topics, but I'm still always engaged by her writing. That was not the case for me with Russo.
March 4, 2025
I am a huge fan of Richard Russo, so when I saw his book on NetGalley, I immediately requested it; I didn’t even read the description. I was treated to a book of essays that were wonderful! My favorite parts were reading about his parents and the essay about his novel “Straight Man,” which is a favorite book of mine. I was left wishing he could have been one of my professors! He is wise, eloquent, and compassionate. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
November 30, 2024
This was my first time reading Richard Russo, but it won’t be my last. Reading his thoughts on life and art was a great introduction to an author who has been on my TBR for a while.
May 25, 2025
As has often been the case with his novels, I’m generally more interested in Russo’s writing than the subjects he chooses to write about.
This is an essay collection that deals mostly with politics and culture and sometimes the intersection of the two. While I certainly agree with Russo on almost every issue he discusses, I’m a bit burnt out on politics (aren’t we all?) and didn’t necessarily need it here, or at least not this much of it.
The other issue is that most of these essays were written pre-2024 election, which means there’s a lot that feels outdated about the content. There’s also a lot of content that is repeated in multiple essays, sometimes almost word for word and in multiple instances.
More interesting is what Russo has to say about academics and education, drawing from both his own teaching career and some of the issues he talked about in Straight Man.
In all, certainly not an unpleasant read, but probably not one anybody needed.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This is an essay collection that deals mostly with politics and culture and sometimes the intersection of the two. While I certainly agree with Russo on almost every issue he discusses, I’m a bit burnt out on politics (aren’t we all?) and didn’t necessarily need it here, or at least not this much of it.
The other issue is that most of these essays were written pre-2024 election, which means there’s a lot that feels outdated about the content. There’s also a lot of content that is repeated in multiple essays, sometimes almost word for word and in multiple instances.
More interesting is what Russo has to say about academics and education, drawing from both his own teaching career and some of the issues he talked about in Straight Man.
In all, certainly not an unpleasant read, but probably not one anybody needed.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
July 23, 2025
when he said “All I can say is try living the first eighteen years of your life with a parent who cycles from one enervating panic attack to the next, and see if you yourself are always rational” i was like dang that really is life my guy. i actually never read his books before. but i liked this. occasionally repetitive but maybe it was supposed to be? anyway we had a lot more in common than i was expecting.
May 25, 2025
For me, this essay collection was a pleasure from start to finish. Richard Russo is my kind of guy.
August 1, 2025
This book of thoughtful essays might be best read after you’ve read some of Russo’s best novels such as Straight Man, Empire Falls and Nobody’s Fool. However, if these essays are the first thing you’ve read by Russo and present a pathway to those earlier novels, that’s a good thing, too.
September 27, 2025
I really liked this book of essays by Richard Russo. I read his Pulitzer-winning novel Empire Falls years ago and liked it ok, but I really enjoyed his memoir Elsewhere that I read in the last couple years. I like memoirs and his is a good one. These essays pertain to his upbringing in the working-class Rust Belt, his thoughts on the current divisions in our country and the causes, and many of his ideas on the craft of writing. He includes a few interesting details about his friendship with Paul Newman, who starred in a movie made from one of his books. I listened to him read it and enjoyed hearing him. I’d like to go back and read more of his backlist.
June 7, 2025
This book of essays had me hooked from the first page. I love Russo’s writing (Empire Falls, Nobody’s Fool) so I was predisposed to like this.
The first half is a series of essays on life—much of it focusing on the different world views of his mother and father; she believes in a world of opportunity and growth, he believes there was no chance for him, as his name ends with a vowel. Each of these essays is a look at class in America, the rusting of the rust belt, and his surprising move out of the world where he grew up by virtue of a college education and a successful career as a writer.
The second half, focusing on art, gives you a glimpse into what it would have been like to take a humanities class with him when he was a college professor. There’s an analysis of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, an essay on how he built one of his novels on an earlier work, and a very depressing essay on white people’s reaction to George Floyd’s death titled “Is It Really Different.”
I highly recommend this book, despite the fact that it’s gotten lukewarm reviews from the usual suspects.
The first half is a series of essays on life—much of it focusing on the different world views of his mother and father; she believes in a world of opportunity and growth, he believes there was no chance for him, as his name ends with a vowel. Each of these essays is a look at class in America, the rusting of the rust belt, and his surprising move out of the world where he grew up by virtue of a college education and a successful career as a writer.
The second half, focusing on art, gives you a glimpse into what it would have been like to take a humanities class with him when he was a college professor. There’s an analysis of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, an essay on how he built one of his novels on an earlier work, and a very depressing essay on white people’s reaction to George Floyd’s death titled “Is It Really Different.”
I highly recommend this book, despite the fact that it’s gotten lukewarm reviews from the usual suspects.
June 7, 2025
Normally I do not read short stories or essays but upon learning Richard Russo wrote a book of essays, I was all in. Russo discusses his thought and events that shaped his life. He touches on the Covid pandemic, his childhood, his relationship with his parents, politics and America today, just to name a few. I think these essays were a cathartic release for Russo and also a chance for his fans to learn about him personally. I thoroughly enjoyed every essay.
June 13, 2025
I recently finished Richard Russo's latest book, which was published May 13th, Life and Art: Essays... which felt a bit memoir-ish...in a kind of conversational way. I very much felt like I was sitting with Russo as he talked about his writing, himself, and the world we live in today... and what might be a way to move back together... past our differences. I really enjoyed Life and Art, especially hearing about how all the Sully books came to life... I loved Sully before and learning a bit of the why's of Sully has made me love him even more... and Richard Russo as well! If you like Russo's writing, you will not be disappointed in his latest offering and I hope that he has many, many more years to write. I highly recommend!
I would like to thank Netgalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the digital copy of this book.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the digital copy of this book.
June 16, 2025
If you have read Russo's books, this will be especially interesting. He offers insights on writing and the life that influenced him. One thing that he may have overdone is the use of tv shows as examples. I expect most people are familiar with the shows, but I am not.
In general, it is well worth the time to read it and was inspiring. It makes me want to read a few of his books that I have not read yet.
In general, it is well worth the time to read it and was inspiring. It makes me want to read a few of his books that I have not read yet.
November 1, 2025
I read most of the essays, but ultimately didn't finish the whole thing. I like Russo's writing a lot, but couldn't get into this. I try to spend most of my time with stuff that was just published (new books, albums, shows, etc.), but it's not super fun to spend time on 2020-2022. And this is for sure a pandemic era book of essays.
July 26, 2025
Outstanding. This collection of essays by one of my favorite authors gives insight into the writing of his novels as well as valuable perspectives on the connections between art and culture. I devoured this book.
December 28, 2025
I haven't read any of Russo's other works but this was an interesting read nonetheless.
January 1, 2026
a lovely series of essays grounded in russo’s rust belt background, political beliefs, and identity as a writer.
i especially loved how russo describes the process of creation - in both art and writing:
“great art has always demanded courage” (128)
i especially loved how russo describes the process of creation - in both art and writing:
“great art has always demanded courage” (128)
July 11, 2025
Russo weaves together memories about his life growing up in Gloversville, Pa with essays about writing. Its an interesting read; I find him very perceptive about his own life and career and writing in general. I'm a little tired of the covid memories however -- too many people chiming in about how they were affected. The book did make me want to read a few more of Russo's novels, however and watch a few of the movies based on his books.
September 20, 2025
I particularly loved the first few essays, which Russo wrote with such clarity, wisdom, and moments of levity.
May 23, 2025
From the somewhat generic, lazy title, to the repetitions of similar, sometimes identical, points and observations made across different essays (editor's fault there), this was underwhelming.
I was hoping for sharper observations, and more literary insights, at the level of, say, E. L. Doctorow. Half of the book reads like a memoir, and the other half as memoir lensed through the author's own novels and adaptations. I wanted more original insights and sharper writing. Not bad, but not particularly memorable.
I was hoping for sharper observations, and more literary insights, at the level of, say, E. L. Doctorow. Half of the book reads like a memoir, and the other half as memoir lensed through the author's own novels and adaptations. I wanted more original insights and sharper writing. Not bad, but not particularly memorable.
February 15, 2025
Richard Russo's new collection of essays touches on topics ranging from the pandemic to his childhood in upstate New York. He reflects on how his life experience shaped some of his novels and shares some insight related to film adaptations of his work, too. My favorite pieces here address his later-in-life understanding of his parents and grandparents and their shortcomings and ambitions. Russo also treats the reader to a couple of pieces of literary analysis, including an interesting essay in which he zooms in on Townes Van Zandt's song "Poncho and Lefty." If you haven't read much of Russo's work, this collection may not resonate with you. But for longtime fans, this slim volume has lots to offer.
Note: I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Note: I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Read
March 24, 2025"Life and Art" is something unique among non-fiction by novelists. It's neither a memoir (some of the essays herein are on topics covered in the author's "Elsewhere"), nor is it a collection of essays or reviews published elsewhere.
Rather, it's the author's COVID-era meditations on his childhood (the first half of the book is primarily about his parents and grandparents), adulthood and then what it means to be an artist (the second part.) For example, one chapter begins on his relationship with Jennifer Finney Boylan, and whether he could or would write a trans character or a Black character. This segues into a discussion of whether older white male writers have the right to write such characters. He also covers film/TV adaptations of his work and what his rights are vs the writers/producers of the adaptations.
Throughout the book, he brings up how COVID has given him the time to think; and to reckon with George Floyd and how his life relates.
I won't call this "The Writer as Lion in Winter," since I hope he has several more novels in him. I'll just call "The Lion in Autumn."
This honest review was given in exchange for an advanced reader copy from #Net Galley and Alfred A. Knopf.
Rather, it's the author's COVID-era meditations on his childhood (the first half of the book is primarily about his parents and grandparents), adulthood and then what it means to be an artist (the second part.) For example, one chapter begins on his relationship with Jennifer Finney Boylan, and whether he could or would write a trans character or a Black character. This segues into a discussion of whether older white male writers have the right to write such characters. He also covers film/TV adaptations of his work and what his rights are vs the writers/producers of the adaptations.
Throughout the book, he brings up how COVID has given him the time to think; and to reckon with George Floyd and how his life relates.
I won't call this "The Writer as Lion in Winter," since I hope he has several more novels in him. I'll just call "The Lion in Autumn."
This honest review was given in exchange for an advanced reader copy from #Net Galley and Alfred A. Knopf.
December 29, 2025
A collection of thoughtful, reflective commentary from a successful professor and storyteller, Life & Art hits the mark with his advice and opinions on what writers owe the reader and the world and the people they use, but loses steam with repetition with his life experiences and family dynamics. Had I been reading these pieces completely separate, never as a collection I may have been able to overlook reading him explain backstory several times, but as a collection it was a bit strange.
I enjoyed his storytelling, particularly his first essay about America and his experiences during the pandemic as well as the essay about writers using people. Being such a fascinating professor, I would have preferred more advice pieces as an artist on the creating art, a sense of style, and working through the writing process.
I enjoyed his storytelling, particularly his first essay about America and his experiences during the pandemic as well as the essay about writers using people. Being such a fascinating professor, I would have preferred more advice pieces as an artist on the creating art, a sense of style, and working through the writing process.
March 25, 2025
My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor - Knopf for this advance copy of a collection of essays written in a time of great change for this country, trying to understand the present while looking to the past, and finding only more questions, along with an understanding why the author writes the works that he does.
I read a lot, and it was only a few years ago that i figured out why. Human beings are a mystery to me. My feelings as a child were always that adults knew what was right, what was wrong and had things figured out. As I aged I realized this was not so, and that people are just as messy, weird, strange and in some ways beaten down, just like some of the students I knew in school. The past makes the person, and pasts are not easily forgotten. As a person who has dome things that made sense at the time, things that I am still in way dealing with, humans can explain away their mistakes, usually by blaming others. The those people who have become the bogeyman of everything gone wrong. So I read, not as much fiction as I used to, as fiction lies to much. Life doesn't have morals, the bad guys seem to win constantly. Stupid is as stupid does, and stupid seems to be winning the race. The race to what I have no idea. Extinction probably. On certain days that probably is changed to hopefully. Writers write for the same reason. To make sense of the senseless, the failures of people, even those close to them. To share stories of people, funny moments, or moments full of emotion and fear, moments writers hide like currency, saving them for writing days. These moments are at the heart of this new collection by novelist, educator and essayist Richard Russo. In Life and Art: Essays Russo looks to the past to make sense of the present we find ourselves in, and finding out that the past never really is the past, but something that makes what we are, how we think, feel and create.
Twelve essays make up this book, most written in the times of COVID, and what came after. The book begins with Russo mad that members of his extended family are anti-vaccination, and of course have come down with COVID, blaming everyone but themselves for their life. This reminds Russo of his father, a man who couldn't see a doctor working 6 days a week during the spring and summer, on unemployment in the fall and winter and his ideas about health. Ignore it until it went away, or find a way to deal with it. A pain was treated with horse medicine, until a simple ache turned out to be lung cancer. Russo looks back at the past, his family divorced early, his Mom's issues with mental health, and his fathers addictive personality especially when it came to gambling and liquor. Russo sees these moments shaping his writing, and with his Mother's need for reinvention his career. There is a bit of sadness, a lot of wondering about what secrets were never told, along with how writers take what the hear, feel and put down on paper. Not to hurt, nor to embarrass, but to understand others, and maybe oneself.
I have read quite a few of Russo's novels, most set in a slowly dying town in Upstate New York, even seen a few movies based on his work. I believe this is the first time I have read his nonfiction and I think I enjoyed this even more. Russo has an honesty, telling tales a writer shouldn't tell, about using others stories, about memorizing his own fear and pains to share with readers later. The past is never dead with Russo, he writes about his father and his friends, his mother, even his grandparents. The fears the woman had, the broken bodies and heavy cost the man had from war, from failing, and never getting ahead. Russo is a very good writer, able to hope from friends to family, the past, to post-vaccine life quite easily. I learned a lot about the writing mindset here. How to use what one sees, and what one has seen happen to others. To not be mean when writing. Every one has failed, made mistakes, that's the easy part. What happiness after is the life lived.
A very interesting collection of essays, from the world today, to biographical, history, and even about writing. Also about observing. Even more, about not letting it crush you. I think I might have a better idea about humans now, and I thank Richard Russo for the lesson.
I read a lot, and it was only a few years ago that i figured out why. Human beings are a mystery to me. My feelings as a child were always that adults knew what was right, what was wrong and had things figured out. As I aged I realized this was not so, and that people are just as messy, weird, strange and in some ways beaten down, just like some of the students I knew in school. The past makes the person, and pasts are not easily forgotten. As a person who has dome things that made sense at the time, things that I am still in way dealing with, humans can explain away their mistakes, usually by blaming others. The those people who have become the bogeyman of everything gone wrong. So I read, not as much fiction as I used to, as fiction lies to much. Life doesn't have morals, the bad guys seem to win constantly. Stupid is as stupid does, and stupid seems to be winning the race. The race to what I have no idea. Extinction probably. On certain days that probably is changed to hopefully. Writers write for the same reason. To make sense of the senseless, the failures of people, even those close to them. To share stories of people, funny moments, or moments full of emotion and fear, moments writers hide like currency, saving them for writing days. These moments are at the heart of this new collection by novelist, educator and essayist Richard Russo. In Life and Art: Essays Russo looks to the past to make sense of the present we find ourselves in, and finding out that the past never really is the past, but something that makes what we are, how we think, feel and create.
Twelve essays make up this book, most written in the times of COVID, and what came after. The book begins with Russo mad that members of his extended family are anti-vaccination, and of course have come down with COVID, blaming everyone but themselves for their life. This reminds Russo of his father, a man who couldn't see a doctor working 6 days a week during the spring and summer, on unemployment in the fall and winter and his ideas about health. Ignore it until it went away, or find a way to deal with it. A pain was treated with horse medicine, until a simple ache turned out to be lung cancer. Russo looks back at the past, his family divorced early, his Mom's issues with mental health, and his fathers addictive personality especially when it came to gambling and liquor. Russo sees these moments shaping his writing, and with his Mother's need for reinvention his career. There is a bit of sadness, a lot of wondering about what secrets were never told, along with how writers take what the hear, feel and put down on paper. Not to hurt, nor to embarrass, but to understand others, and maybe oneself.
I have read quite a few of Russo's novels, most set in a slowly dying town in Upstate New York, even seen a few movies based on his work. I believe this is the first time I have read his nonfiction and I think I enjoyed this even more. Russo has an honesty, telling tales a writer shouldn't tell, about using others stories, about memorizing his own fear and pains to share with readers later. The past is never dead with Russo, he writes about his father and his friends, his mother, even his grandparents. The fears the woman had, the broken bodies and heavy cost the man had from war, from failing, and never getting ahead. Russo is a very good writer, able to hope from friends to family, the past, to post-vaccine life quite easily. I learned a lot about the writing mindset here. How to use what one sees, and what one has seen happen to others. To not be mean when writing. Every one has failed, made mistakes, that's the easy part. What happiness after is the life lived.
A very interesting collection of essays, from the world today, to biographical, history, and even about writing. Also about observing. Even more, about not letting it crush you. I think I might have a better idea about humans now, and I thank Richard Russo for the lesson.
June 17, 2025
I love Russo's fiction. I've heard him speak a few times, once at a launch for this book. He's warm, sincere, and engaging. You feel like you could have a comfortable and interesting conversation with him over dinner, and these essays feel like they would make up part of that conversation. I was especially taken with his study of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" because, as a high school kid when it was released, my friends and I were entranced, enthralled, by the film (to this day, we can quote lines from it). Teen girls who wanted to be outlaw cowboys, we sensed, I think, but couldn't articulate, the significance(s) Russo discovers in it, especially about how we individually and collectively "meet the future." I also appreciated his insights about family relationships, the making of art, and politics--the latter two entwined in his questions surrounding "cultural appropriation" in literature, where I side with Russo in asking, "Why constrain the imagination, the very thing that helps us get over ourselves? Are artists really supposed to stay in their lanes?" Okay, that said, then--why not five stars for this book? Well, it did have a bit of a claustrophobic feel to it, much of it begun, as it was, during the covid pandemic. We find Russo the essayist mulling the same things over in slightly different ways, as one tends to do in comparative isolation. The result is a certain repetitiveness about his parents' characters, his adult perspective on his boyhood. Also, his zeroing in on the lyrics of a song by Townes Van Zandt also seems to me like the sort of indulgence we allow ourselves when there's little else to distract us; I'm not sure the subject was worthy of Russo's enthusiastic parsing. In any case, his book is worthy of your time, but maybe read in spurts, not cover to cover.
May 16, 2025
Thank you to Knopf for the review copy.
I’m a longtime fan of Richard Russo—fondly so, as he’s a writer my dad introduced me to years ago with Empire Falls. There’s something especially meaningful about sharing a favorite author with my dad and knowing we both appreciate Russo’s storytelling, voice, and perspective.
This set of essays marks a noticeable shift in tone for Russo, but given that they are nonfiction reflections written in the wake of the pandemic, the shift feels both natural and necessary. I actually welcomed this turn. It offers readers a more personal, behind-the-scenes look at Russo—not just as a writer, but as a human being navigating the complexities of our current political and cultural moment. There’s real value in hearing from thoughtful voices like his, especially as we continue to make sense of life in a post-COVID world. These aren’t just observations from the news; they’re shaped and elevated by craft, insight, and lived experience.
For me, the standout essays are those in which Russo reflects on aging, and on how his understanding of his parents and grandparents has evolved over time. I’m always drawn to that kind of introspection—the recognition that as we grow into midlife and beyond, we continue reinterpreting our past and renegotiating what it means to be an adult. Russo captures so well the sense that many of us are still just trying to figure out life, that adulthood is often improvisational, and that amid the chaos, it’s the quirky moments of joy, the flashes of self-effacing humor, and the relationships that matter most.
I’m a longtime fan of Richard Russo—fondly so, as he’s a writer my dad introduced me to years ago with Empire Falls. There’s something especially meaningful about sharing a favorite author with my dad and knowing we both appreciate Russo’s storytelling, voice, and perspective.
This set of essays marks a noticeable shift in tone for Russo, but given that they are nonfiction reflections written in the wake of the pandemic, the shift feels both natural and necessary. I actually welcomed this turn. It offers readers a more personal, behind-the-scenes look at Russo—not just as a writer, but as a human being navigating the complexities of our current political and cultural moment. There’s real value in hearing from thoughtful voices like his, especially as we continue to make sense of life in a post-COVID world. These aren’t just observations from the news; they’re shaped and elevated by craft, insight, and lived experience.
For me, the standout essays are those in which Russo reflects on aging, and on how his understanding of his parents and grandparents has evolved over time. I’m always drawn to that kind of introspection—the recognition that as we grow into midlife and beyond, we continue reinterpreting our past and renegotiating what it means to be an adult. Russo captures so well the sense that many of us are still just trying to figure out life, that adulthood is often improvisational, and that amid the chaos, it’s the quirky moments of joy, the flashes of self-effacing humor, and the relationships that matter most.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews