Richard R. Becker

About Richard R. Becker

Richard R. Becker is an award-winning, best-selling American writer. His debut collection of literary fiction and psychological thrillers began as a project to write one story a week for 50 weeks. It broke into the top 100 literary short story collections on Amazon on Jan. 20, 2022.

50 States is a debut collection of short stories that captures the human condition across the American landscape over 60 years — the kind and cruel, the heroic and criminal — in unpredictable and suspenseful ways. The book was recently released on audio with Emmy-winning narrator Brian Callanan.

Richard was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and raised by his grandparents after his father was killed in a car accident. They were poor and his grandmother suffered with cancer. These difficulties, along with Richard being afflicted with club feet, contributed to many early social and educational challenges.

Before his grandmother died, Richard was relocated to live with his mother and her new family in Burnsville, Minnesota, and later Las Vegas. Richard navigated these transitions and worked a variety of jobs (fast food, retail paint, muralist, stage foreman, and convenience store clerk among them) to earn an education. He attended Whittier College in California and then the University of Nevada, Reno. It was there that Richard transitioned from psychology and art to journalism, with an emphasis in advertising.

Richard graduated during an economic recession. With no openings related to his field, he started freelancing as a journalist and copywriter. He wrote hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles, scripted a documentary produced with PBS, and contributed to five books related to marketing, public relations, and management. He has also worked with more than 1,000 accounts, ranging from small startups to Fortune 500 companies; taught at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and has served on dozens of nonprofit organizations.

Aside from writing, Richard has a broad range of interests, including travel, hiking, parks, fitness, illustration, photography, and spending time with family. He is married and has two children.

“A stellar debut with 50 States! I fell in love with how each short story packs a punch and is memorable on its own.”
— Readers’ Favorite

“Richard is a superb writer, with an eloquent tongue and a tremendous turn of phrase.”— Matt McAvoy Book Reviews

"A cleverly conceived, character-driven anthology sure to delight..." — Kirkus Reviews