Russell Banks

Russell Banks was born on March 28, 1940, in Newton, Massachusetts.
* He grew up in poverty in New Hampshire.
* He attended Colgate University, but dropped out after six weeks.
* He traveled to Cuba and then to Jamaica.
* He began writing fiction and poetry.
* He published his first novel, Family Life, in 1975.
* He has written over 20 novels, short story collections, and works of nonfiction.
* He has won numerous awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award.
* He died on January 7, 2023, at the age of 82.