>>>
>>> RICHARD RUSSO WAS ONE OF MAINE'S BEST WRITERS. >> HIS BOOK4@, 4@EMPIRE FALLS,
THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION
NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO, AND SINCE
THEN, RUSSO HAS WRITTEN MORE
NOVELS, AS WELL AS SHORT
STORIES AND A MEMOIR.4@
HIS NEW NOVEL IS CHANCES ARE.
THE STORY OF THREE MEN WHO HAVE
BEEN FRIENDS SINCE THEY 4@
ATTENDED COLLEGE TOGETHER IN
THE 1960S.4@
>> AT THE TIME, A YOUNG MAN'S
FATE IN AMERICA COULD BE
DECIDED BY WHETHER HE RECEIVED
A HIGH OR LOW NUMBER IN 4@THE
MILITARY DRAFT.
RUSSO GOT A HIGH NUMBER, AND
DID NOT HAVE TO SERVE, 4@BUT AS
HE TOLD ROB IN THIS BOOK AND 4@
HIS OWN LIFE, THE VIETNAM WAR
HAS NEVER GONE AWAY.4@4@4@
>> THE BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE
NAMES ON THE WALL.
ON THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL IN
WA4@SHINGTON DC.
>> YES.
>> SO, I THINK I PROBABLY KNOW
THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION,
BUT IT SURE SOUNDS AS THOUGH
YOU, YOURSELF, ARE MORE THAN A
LITTLE BIT HAUNTED.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY.
THIS BOOK4@4@, TH4@IS BOOK IS A
GENUINE HUNTING.
>> Reporter: RUSSO WAS STRUCK
WHEN HE SAW BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S
SHOW ON BROADWAY.
HE AND SPRINGSTEEN ARE THE SAME
AGE.
BOTH WERE HOSTAGES TO FATE WHEN
IT CAME 4@TO WHETHER THEY WOULD
GET A LOW DRAFT NUMBER OR A
HIGH ONE.
WHETHER THEY WOULD BE DRAFTED
AND SENT 4@TO VIETNAM, OR ALLOW
TO STAY HOME AND AVOID THE
WORLD TOGETHER.
>> SO, HE AND HIS FRIENDS AND
SOME OF THEM GOT DRAFTED AND
SOME DIDN'T AND HE SAYS AND
THAT SHOW, I DON'T KNOW WHO
DIED IN MY PLACE.
BUT SO4@MEBODY DID.
AND, I THINK THAT THOSE OF US
WHO, DUMB LUCK SMILED ON THAT
DAY, MYSELF INCLUDED,4@ YOU CAN
AND, I THINK THAT THOSE OF US WHO, DUMB LUCK SMILED ON THAT DAY, MYSELF INCLUDED,4@ YOU CAN@
STILL OPPOSE THE WAR THAT WAS
FOUGHT, BUT YOU HAVE TO HONOR
THE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT IT.4@
SO, YEAH.
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THOSE
NAMES.
>>> YOU HAVE BEEN DOING THIS
FOR A LONG TIME NOW.4@ 4@
WHEN YOU HAVE GOT THAT WEALTH
OF EXPERIENCE BEHIND YOU IN
WRITING, DOES IT MAKE IT
SIGNIFICANTLY EASIER?
>> NO.
GOD NO. 4@
IF ONLY.
NO.
IF ONLY.
NO.
EACH BOOK, THAT'S THE THING
ABOUT NOVEL WRITING, IS 4@THAT
THINK, YOU NEVER REALLY LEARN
HOW TO 4@DO IT.4@
THE THING THAT IS EASIER IS
THAT EACH TIME YOU DO IT, IT,4@
YOU BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE.
SO, WHEN YOU GET TO PAGE 270,4@
IN A BOOK, AND YO4@U DON'T KNOW
WHAT COMES NEXT AND YOU THINK
YOU MADE A MI4@STAKE AND THE
LITTLE VOICES WHISPERING, ALL
RIGHT, THIS TIME YOU'4@VE DONE
YOURSELF, HAVEN'T YOU?
THIS WHEN YOU CAN'T WRITE.
WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT YOU REMIND
YOURSELF, YOU THINK, I ALWAYS
FEEL THAT WAY.
AT THIS POINT IN THE BOOK.
THAT HAPPENS WITH 4@EVERY SINGL
NOVEL.
YOU ALWAYS FEEL THIS WAY.
AND IN THE PAST, IT DID WORK
OUT.
SO, THAT IS WHAT IS EASIER IS
THAT YOU -- THERE WERE 15 OTHER
OUT. SO, THAT IS WHAT IS EASIER IS THAT YOU -- THERE WERE 15 OTHER@
BOOKS I4@ FELT EXACTLY LIKE THI
THE THING IS NOT EASIER IS THAT
WHAT WORKED IN 4@THE LAST BOOK
WON'T WORK IN THIS ONE.
SO, WHATEVER YOU HAVE LEARNED,
YEAH, YOU HAVE LEARNED IT.
BUT IT'S OF NO USE TO YOU.
>> AFTER YOU'VE WRITTEN AS MANY
BOOKS AS YOU HAVE, DOES IT GET
HARDER TO COME UP WITH THE BIG
IDEA THAT WILL PROPEL A 300
PAGE NOVEL?
>> NUMBER 1, I TRY MY VERY BEST
NOT TO THINK EVER IN TERMS OF A
PHRASE LIKE BIG IDEA.4@
WHAT I LIKE MOST IS TO COME 4@U
WITH, EVEN A TINY IDEA THAT
MIGHT INTEREST ME FROM NOW
THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY.
AND THEN, JUST 4@LET - BECAUSE
IMAGINED 4@WORKS IN SUCH A WAY
THAT IF I CAN GET, IF I CAN GET
REALLY INTERESTED IN SOMETHING
ON TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK,4@ MY
IMAGINATION IS GOING TO TAKE
CARE OF THE REST OF IT.
IT'S GOING TO GO.
IT'S GOING TO GO.
>> IS IT TO 4@A LARGE DEGREE TH
YOU LOVE YOUR CHARACTERS AND
YOUR CHARACTERS LEAD THE WAY?
>> PRETTY MUCH.
>> THEY PROPEL THE BOOK?
>> PRETTY MUCH.
I DON'T LIKE4@ BOORS IN FICTION
ANYMORE THAN I LIKE BOORS IN
REAL LIFE.
SO, I TEND TO WRITE ABOUT
STORIES THAT, PEOPLE WHOSE
COMPANY I ENJOY.
ONE OF THE REVIEWS 4@FROM A MAJ
PUBLICATION SAID, "NOBODY
UNDERSTANDS MEN BETTER 4@THAN
RUSSO."
THAT'S A REALLY COMPLEMENTARY
LINE FOR A WRITER.
>> YEAH.
I WISH IT 4@WERE TRUE.
NO.
I DO, I GUESS WHAT I WOULD SAY
IS THAT I UNDERSTAND MY GUYS. 4@
THERE'S A CERTAIN KIND OF MAN
THAT I THINK I 4@HAVE A PRETTY
DECENT READ ON. 4@
>> RUSSO SAYS WHENEVER ONE OF
HIS BOOKS IS PUBLISHED NOW, IT
TAKES IT BACK TO HIS FIRST
NOVEL.
MOHAWK.
NOVEL. MOHAWK. WHICH WAS REJECTED BY PUBLISHER@
23 TIMES.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF I TOLD YOU
THE STORY OR NOT, ROB, BUT WITH
THE FIRST BOOK, THERE WAS A
POINT, IF THE 4@DEVIL HAD
APPEARED TO ME AND SAID, WE
WILL GIVE 4@YOU THIS ONE BOOK,
THIS MOHAWK BOOK.
WHAT YOU PUBLISH THAT ONE.
BUT AFTER THAT, YOU ARE DONE.4@
I WOULD'VE TAKEN THAT.
I WOULD'VE TAKEN THAT DEAL.
RIGHT THEN, BECAUSE I WAS AT A
POINT WHERE I DIDN'T THINK IT
WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
>> IT'S ALL GRAVY AFTER THAT
FIRST ONE BECAUSE OF THE DEAL
THAT I PROBABLY WOULD'VE TAKEN
AT THE TIME.
>> HAVE YOU 4@HAD ANY BOOKS
REJECTED SINCE THEN?
>> NO, BUT I'M SURE IT'S COMING.
>>> ALSO VERY HUMBLE.4@4@
THAT WHOLE WRITER THING ABOUT,
OH, MY GOSH, THE ANGST AROUND
IT.
UNBELIEVABLE.
IT. UNBELIEVABLE. >>4@