i said i think i'm going to try to be a writer this is sixty. sixty eight and she said that's a good. maybe i'll get a job and used. books and that's exactly what we've if the years. during that time he's written seven novels five short story collections and a memoir and become world famous his best known character is named frank bascombe he first turned up in the sports writer in one nine hundred eighty six back then bascom was a divorced failed writer in his late thirty's he became the hero actually the antihero of three further books bascom changed careers battled cancer and fought about life and the state of the nation his observations were ironic conic and grand . we catch up with richard ford in hamburg he's come here to accept a literary award for his life's work. it's