The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist offers nine essays on writing craft, his favorite wordsmiths, friendship, and what it takes to pursue one's intellectual and artistic passions.
In The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life, Russo proves to be a familiar presence – thoughtful, funny, endearing – and surprising, as well ... Russo opines on the themes of ambition and talent, and the often dicey relationship between the two ... Unplugged from fictional characters and reporting on his own behalf, Russo is a genial narrator, meandering, poking fun at himself. If a joke or gag can be found, he’ll milk it for all it’s worth – even if it requires an apology after the fact. Still, a thread of sadness permeates this book, with more than a few references to the central longing in Russo’s life – for a steady father and an intact family. Readers who come to this book in search of the storyteller they know from Russo’s fiction will be well-rewarded. The strongest pieces here are stories that emanate from the author’s life – about writing, teaching and friendship ... In the end, some readers may prefer the more well-rounded author-teacher-critic version of Russo, while others will favor the undiluted storyteller. Either way, Russo delivers the cozy intelligence and comic savvy that readers have come to admire.
One of the questions most frequently asked of writers is, 'How did you get your start?' That and many other questions about writing and a writer’s life are answered in the all-encompassing nine essays in Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo’s The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life ... Anyone in search of an eye-opening series of essays by a distinguished writer about writing and the writing life need look no further than the nine entertaining and informative entries in The Destiny Thief.