TIME

Richard Russo

The Pulitzer Prize winner on his new novel Chances Are ..., our nearness to war and the truth about destiny

You often use your life to inspire your books. Are you in the three 66-year-old friends at the center of Chances Are ...? My not wanting to go out too far on a limb, my worrying sometimes if I’m playing things too safe—all of that I off-loaded onto Lincoln. Teddy loves the life of the mind, but he knows that it can also stultify the heart.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from TIME

TIME3 min read
How Nature Reacts To A Total Eclipse
Of all of the animals worth observing during a total solar eclipse, perhaps none are more intriguing than humans. They stop what they’re doing; they stare skyward; they lower their voices to a hush. Some may even shed tears. Other species of animals
TIME3 min read
Stepping Up
Where do you find influence in 2024? You can start with the offices of the Anti-Corruption Foundation in Vilnius, Lithuania, where TIME met with Yulia Navalnaya earlier this spring. There, the activist is working with 60 supporters—whose anti-Kremlin
TIME2 min readAmerican Government
Bolsonaro And Trump, Apart Yet Together
A president facing a tough fight for re-election warns his followers that corrupt elites want to steal power from them. He loses the election and calls on his supporters to defend him. Unable to block the transfer of power, he retreats to Florida. Hi

Related Books & Audiobooks