In this series of 12 personal essays, Pulitzer Prize–winner Richard Russo explores the intertwining of memory and creativity. The collection is split into two distinct parts: The Life section is full of memoir-driven reflections on Russo’s upbringing in Gloversville, family dynamics (his parents’ illnesses), the COVID-19 pandemic, and the unforgettable moment when his grandson faced a critical illness. Where in the Art section, Russo turns a writer’s lens on his craft—sharing behind-the-scenes looks at literary adaptation, screenwriting vs. print, and the deep stories hidden in films and songs.

Russo writes with raw honesty about his parents—his father’s gambling and his mother’s anxiety—and their lasting impact on him . He reveals valuable lessons on writing “what you know,” the power of storytelling, and emotional truth—highlighting why he values authenticity above all apnews.com. His commentary on cinema and music is revealing and engaging .

Life and Art offers a poignant and reflective journey through Russo’s personal and creative worlds. While parts may feel redundant to his most devoted readers, the collection is nonetheless “sharp, tender, extraordinarily intimate” and full of wisdom for anyone interested in family stories, creative honesty, and the craft of writing .

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.

Are you interested in what makes a writer write? What demons or angels perch on his or her shoulders and whisper in their ears words of encouragement or discouragement? Some authors are willing to take the reader behind that curtain where the sausage is made and discuss their process. Other authors are more willing to talk about what inspired them to write a particular story or novel. Richard Russo is more of the latter in this volume of essays.

Part 1 of this collection - Life - has essays dealing with his life, his parental relationships and how those shaped his life and his writing. He warns folks to be wary of writers since they are often guilty of taking events that they witness and using them as fodder for their stories. He pleads guilty to that fact in regard to a number of his books. He also reveals family events and interactions during the essays to make a point with the reader.

Then in Part - Art - Russo discusses both the craft and the storytelling aspects of writing. He elucidates on using other folks lives in his stories, how the order of words affects the message being delivered, and then has fun discussing books, movies, and the art of turning one into the other.

So if you are looking for one author's perspective on a varied number of topics, feel free to pick up and peruse Richard Russo's Life and Art!

Thanks Netgalley and Alfred A. Knopf for the chance to read this title!

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.

I love Richard Russo and will read anything he writes, so I enjoyed this essay collection, which ranges through topics as serious as the illness of a grandchild and its subsequent impact on Russo's COVID lockdown experience to those as whimsical as a missing wedding ring that magically reappears after being lost for many years. The collection's through-line, however, is Russo's experiences as the child of a broken home and the son of two very different parents, and how that heritage has impacted his fiction-writing and his life. Readers who, like me, have read Russo's entire ouevre will therefore be familiar with a lot of the content of this book, and the fact that many (most?) of the essays have appeared in print before and are collected here means that certain details are repeated in different essays. That having been said, if you are a fan of Russo's writing (and I am), you will enjoy any chance to read it. And if you haven't read him before, "Life and Art" is a great place to start.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Knopf for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

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.

Over on my booktube channel (Hannah's Books), I shared this book in my description of exciting books forthcoming in May. Link to the particular discussion: https://youtu.be/4zoXuMKGD2A?si=h46bufbWB66Qv6hi&t=350

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.

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

Richard Russo won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2002 for “Empire Falls,” and I’m a fan of the way he finds interesting angles to address the issues of modern life. In this collection of essays, I was particularly struck by the piece about what it means to use the lives of others for storytelling. (Recommendation sent to readers of WordSmarts.com email newsletter)

In this book of 12 essays, the novelist known for best-selling works such as Pulitzer-winning Empire Falls, muses about the interactions of life and art -- both his own and that of the culture at large. While he uses some of the exact same themes for more than one essay, the overall effect is that you're riding along with a sharp, empathetic, and concise driver. He's pointing out things you wouldn't see or that you would see but would not interrogate in the same way. Full disclosure: This is my first and only Richard Russo book. I have plans to change that ASAP.

[Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

Loved this book, have always liked Russo. and this newest will not disappoint. Thank you NetGalley for an ebook copy to enjoy.

Richard Russo is 75, how many more books or essays might we have from him? Not many, and Life and Art: Essays finds Russo very much looking back, reflecting on his personal life, professional life and recent cultural topics and events. Anyone familiar with his work will not be surprised by much here, growing up in a declining one industry town, his relationship with his parents or the behind the scenes life of working as a writer.

Some essays repeat content found in others, specifically "Marriage Story," "What We Really Want from Stories," and "Ghosts" all travel familiar ground of his parents' relationship and philosophies.

While brief, one standout was "Meaning" for its comical pacing, but works towards a deeper meaning. The second half "Art" had more that felt new, especially with Russo talking through the creation process of his writing, adapting his materials from book to screen, and in one thoughtful essay ("Lives of Others") Russo addresses if someone's background should matter in telling a story.

Russo is cognizant that he has had a successful career, and that the world has changed. But so has he, at least some what.

Recommended to readers of the craft of writing, blending biography with fiction or fan's of Richard Russo.

I was not aware of Russo's work before reading this, but I think that the "Life" section of the essays sets you up enough to know more about him before you dive deeper into the collection. I preferred the essays in the "Art" section as a writer myself, as I could relate to and enjoyed his take on writing as a whole. Regardless, I found this to be a solid collection, but not particularly memorable outside of a few essays here and there.

A wonderful read!
Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Russo is an author that I have meant to read all of at various points, but I seem to only catch up with the later works. One day I'll start with Mohawk and work my way through them. I enjoyed these posthumously published essays on Russo's life and the art that affected him. They did not seem particularly well edited and there was some repetition, particularly in the life section. Had he had more of a chance to polish them, they may have worked more cohesively. Nevertheless, each essay was enjoyable and showed that Russo was a thoughtful writer worthy of more reading.

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.

Richard Russo, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Somebody's Fool, has released a compelling collection titled Life and Art: Essays. This anthology comprises twelve insightful essays where Russo ruminates about the relationship between existence and creativity. He candidly reflects on his personal journey, touching upon his father, his writing career, and notably, the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. ​

Russo's signature straightforward and familiar narrative style made me feel as though I was in a conversation with an old friend. The opening essay, in particular, resonated deeply with me, and I anticipate sharing it with many others.​

For old fans and new, purchase this collection!
#LifeAndArt #RichardRusso #Knopfvintagepantheon

While I haven’t read all of Richard Russo’s works, I’ve read quite a few of them, and although this collection of essays is worth reading, it feels like it was written only for those who have read his work already. I thought the first half of the book, with essays on “Life,” was much stronger than the second half on “Art.” I appreciated learning even more about Russo’s parents and grandparents and how his relationships with them shaped his life and his writing. The second half felt disjointed and rambling. Also, perhaps it is just me, but it feels too soon to write about COVID and especially about Trump’s first term in office while we are currently living through his second.

Instead of reading these essays about Russo’s books and screenplays, your time would be much better spent actually reading those books and watching those movies.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Russo, as he always does, encapsulates what many believe about life and society. A great collection of essays!