Southampton Attorney and Author Shares New Book, 'Ruckus'

Richard Golub, a noted attorney and writer, and part-time Southampton resident, recently published “Ruckus,” a memoir about his childhood in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The story, which follows Golub as he navigates adolescence in the New England city, leaves little behind in its exploration of his eventful past.

“Over the years,” Golub said, “I’ve tried several times to write my life story. I never thought it was unusual until I started discussing it with others who made me realize how unique my experience was.”

Although the book can be pointed or painful at times in its depiction of teenage angst, Golub stated it is more intended to entertain than anything else, as he narrates the idiosyncratic nature of growing up in Worcerster.

The city, which is prominently featured in the nonfiction novel, has received the book with open arms, revealed Golub. “‘Ruckus’ has been very well received in Worcester,” he said.

One quirk of Golub’s book is that he exclusively uses the real names of his friends in the book. “I felt there was no real difference between changing the names and keeping them the same,” he said. “No one knows them anyways.”

Looking back on his writing process, Golub cites “The Cannibal” by John Hawkes as a major influence, as well as Dylan Thomas’s readings of W.H. Auden’s poetry.

“These works of almost abrasive words inspire me to write good prose,” he said. “I want to find words that make the reader think.”

An attorney by day, Golub found times within his busy schedule to develop his writing.

“Instead of writing our legal memoranda on my yellow pad, I would start writing plots and writing about characters,” he said. “It’s like what Plato said: You’ve gotta have gymnastics and music in your life, your living and how you feed your mind.”

Golub hopes that readers will have a greater appreciation for their childhood after reading the book.

“This is your childhood. You’d better honor it, because it’s going to be with you the rest of your life and it’s the best part of your life,” he said. “When you’re 60, 70, 80, 90, you’re going to think back about your childhood. And that’s what really establishes you as a person, that those memories will never go away.”

Golub is currently working on a novel, “Violent Avenue,” which focuses on a lawyer’s abject dissatisfaction with his life and the possibilities of a redemptive relationship.

The self-published book is available at amazon.com.