They stayed, many of them, because staying was easier and less scary than leaving. Richard Russo More Quotes by Richard Russo More Quotes From Richard Russo People in small towns, much more than in cities, share a destiny. Richard Russo destiny cities people Whatever you're working on, take small bites. The task will not be overwhelming if you can reduce it to its smallest component. Richard Russo smallest overwhelming tasks I just have this feeling that if it weren't for the Gloversville Free Library that I probably would not be a writer. Richard Russo library ifs feelings The world is divided between kids who grow up wanting to be their parents and those like us, who grow up wanting to be anything but. Neither group ever succeeds. Richard Russo growing-up parent kids Was anything in the world truer than that intuitive leap of the heart? Richard Russo leap heart world You can't possibly judge your ability to control something until you've experienced the extremes of its capabilities. Do you understand? Richard Russo ability capability judging Were it not for Occam's Razor, which always demands simplicity, I'd be tempted to believe that human beings are more influenced by distant causes than immediate ones. This would especially be true of overeducated people, who are capable of thinking past the immediate, of becoming obsessed by the remote. It's the old stuff, the conflicts we've never come to terms with, that sneaks up on us, half forgotten, insisting upon action. Richard Russo believe past thinking It's no secret that in my books I'm trying to make the comic and the serious rub up against each other just as closely and uncomfortably as I can. Richard Russo secret trying book At the risk of appearing disingenuous, I don't really think of myself as 'writing humor.' I'm simply reporting on the world I observe, which is frequently hilarious. Richard Russo risk writing thinking ...aware, as always, that the truth isn't much of substitute for a good answer. Richard Russo substitutes answers 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. Richard Russo betrayal careers mean Odd that the future should be so difficult to bring into focus when the past, uninvited, offered itself up so easily for inspection. Richard Russo odd focus past 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. Richard Russo self character book I’ve always known that there’s more going on inside me than finds its way into the world, but this is probably true of everyone. Who doesn’t regret that he isn’t more fully understood? Richard Russo regret way world Sleep is over-rated. Have you ever noticed how it's always recommended to people anybody with half a brain can see need to wake up? Richard Russo brain sleep people That afternoon I came to understand that one of the deepest purposes of intellectual sophistication is to provide distance between us and our most disturbing personal truths and gnawing fears. Richard Russo distance purpose intellectual Even at its most perceptive, sociology deals in abstractions. Richard Russo sociological deals sociology HBO is really famous for hiring good people and staying out of their way until they ask for help, or need it. And that reputation is earned. Richard Russo stay-strong hbo people America has always been a nation of small places, and as we lose them, we're losing part of ourselves. Richard Russo small-places losing america I looked back at some of my earlier published stories with genuine horror and remorse. I got thinking, How many extant copies might there be, who owns them, and do they keep their doors locked? Richard Russo stories doors thinking
