"I looked back at some of my earlier published stories with genuine horror and remorse. I got thinking, How many extant copies might there be, who owns them, and do they keep their doors locked?"

This quote by Richard Russo reflects on his experience of recalling at a few of his earlier released stories with scary and regret. He is most likely assessing how his writing has actually altered and improved over time, and is worried about how many copies of his earlier work still exist. He questions who owns them and if they keep them locked away, most likely out of shame or a desire to keep them out of the public eye. This quote speaks with the concept that all of us have work from our past that we might not take pride in, however it is a part of our journey and development as writers. It likewise talks to the concept that our work is never ever genuinely ours, as it can be owned and shared by others.