Richard Russo

Richard Russo (born July 15, 1949) is an American novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and teacher. In 2002, he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for his novel Empire Falls. Several of his works have been adapted into television series and movies. He is known for his realistic depictions of rural, small-town life in the Northeastern United States, particularly in Maine, Pennsylvania, and Russo's native Upstate New York.

Early life and education Russo was born in Johnstown, New York, and raised in nearby Gloversville. His father, Jim Russo, was a highway worker. The subject of his doctoral dissertation was the works of the early American writer, historian and editor Charles Brockden Brown.

While in graduate school, Russo admired Mark Twain and Charles Dickens' writing styles.

His 2001 novel Empire Falls received the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He has written nine other novels, a collection of short stories, and a memoir (Elsewhere). His short story "Horseman" was published in The Best American Short Stories 2007 edited by Stephen King and Heidi Pitlor.

Besides his work as a book author, Russo along with director Robert Benton co-wrote the 1998 film Twilight, starring Paul Newman. He also wrote the screenplay for the 2005 film Ice Harvest and for the 2005 Niall Johnson film Keeping Mum, which starred Rowan Atkinson.

Adaptations Director Robert Benton adapted Russo's 1993 novel Nobody's Fool as a 1994 film of the same title, starring Paul Newman, which Benton directed. Russo also wrote the teleplay for the HBO adaptation of Empire Falls.

Russo's 1997 novel Straight Man was adapted by Paul Lieberstein and Aaron Zelman into a television show entitled Lucky Hank starring Bob Odenkirk for AMC. The series debuted on March 19, 2023, on AMC.

Personal life Russo and his wife, Barbara, live in Portland, Maine, and spend winters in Boston. They have two daughters, Kate and Emily.

Works

Novels Mohawk (Vintage Books, 1986) The Risk Pool (Random House, 1988) Nobody's Fool (Random House, 1993) Straight Man (Random House, 1997) Empire Falls (Alfred A. Knopf, 2001) Bridge of Sighs (Alfred A. Knopf, 2007) That Old Cape Magic (Alfred A. Knopf, 2009) Everybody's Fool (Alfred A. Knopf, 2016) Chances Are... (Alfred A. Knopf, 2019) Somebody's Fool (Alfred A. Knopf, 2023) Under the Falls (Alfred A. Knopf, 2026)

Short stories The Whore's Child and Other Stories (Alfred A. Knopf, 2002) Interventions, with illustrator Kate Russo (Down East Books, 2012) Trajectory: Stories (Alfred A. Knopf, 2017) Sh*tshow (Vintage, 2020)

Non-fiction Elsewhere: A Memoir (Alfred A. Knopf, 2012) The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life (Alfred A. Knopf, 2018) Marriage Story, An American Memoir (Scribd, 2021) Life and Art: Essays (Knopf, 2025)

Filmography Monsters (1989) (TV) Nobody's Fool (1994) – based on his novel Twilight (with Robert Benton) (1998) The Flamingo Rising (2001) (TV) Brush with Fate (2003) (TV) Empire Falls (2005) (TV) – based on his novel The Ice Harvest (with Robert Benton) (2005) Keeping Mum (with Niall Johnson) (2005) Lucky Hank (2023) (TV) – based on his novel Straight Man