Author Richard Russo On His New Collection Of Stories

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Richard Russo and his new book "Trajectory: Stories."

This week on "Two Way Street," Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo joins us to discuss his latest book, "Trajectory: Stories." 

If one of the protagonists in this collection of short stories seems familiar, that’s because it should. Russo tells us how “Marcus and Milton,” the fourth and final story in this collection, is really a love letter to his close friend Paul Newman.  

Russo is known for his ability to capture blue-collar America. His previous work has been set in various Northeastern industrial towns blighted by globalization and industrialization. In light of the 2016 election, Russo delves into the current political landscape: Would the working class heroes of his gritty novels, such as “Nobody’s Fool” and “Mohawk,” have voted for Donald Trump?

Plus, Russo discusses what it takes to sustain a marriage. Hint: the art of conversation might be more important than you think. Even after 44 years of marriage, Russo says he tries to come up with “new material” for conversations with his wife.