James Lee Burke

For other people named James Burke, seeJames Burke (disambiguation).

James Lee Burke
Born	(1936-12-05)December 5, 1936 Houston,Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Writer, novelist
Education	University of Louisiana at Lafayette University of Missouri(BA,MA)
Children	4 (includingAlafair Burke)
Website
www.jamesleeburke

James Lee Burke(born December 5, 1936) is an American author, best known for hisDave Robicheauxseries. He has wonEdgar Awardsfor his novelsBlack Cherry Blues(1990),Cimarron Rose(1998), andFlags on the Bayou(2024).He has also been presented with the Grand Master Award from theMystery Writers of America.The Robicheaux character has been portrayed twice on screen, first byAlec Baldwin(Heaven's Prisoners) and thenTommy Lee Jones(In the Electric Mist).

Wirt Williams, reviewing Burke's first novel,Half of Paradise(1965), in theNew York Times,compared his writing toJean-Paul SartreandErnest Hemingway,but concluded "Mr. Burkes' literary forebear isThomas Hardy."

Burke's 1982 novel,Two for Texas,was made into a 1998 TV movie of the same name. Burke has also written five miscellaneous crime novels (includingTwo for Texas), two short-story collections, four books starring protagonistTexasattorney Billy Bob Holland, four books starring Billy Bob's cousin Texas sheriff Hackberry Holland, and two books starring Weldon Avery Holland, grandson of legendary Texas lawman Hackberry Holland.

Biography

Burke was born inHouston,Texas, but spent most of his childhood on the Texas-LouisianaGulf Coast.He attended theUniversity of Louisiana at LafayetteandUniversity of Missouri,receivingBachelor of ArtsandMaster of Artsdegrees in English literature from the latter.

He worked in a variety of jobs over the years, while books he had written were rejected, and books he had published went out of print. At various times, he worked as a truck driver for theU.S. Forest Service,as a newspaper reporter, as a social worker onSkid Row, Los Angeles,as a land surveyor in Colorado, in the Louisiana State unemployment system, and in theJob Corpsin theDaniel Boone National Forestin eastern Kentucky.

He taught at the University of Missouri as a grad student, then at the University of Louisiana, the University of Montana, and Miami-Dade Community College, before settling inWichita, Kansasto teach atWichita State Universityin 1978.

Personal life

Burke and his wife Pearl, née Pai Chu,owned homes inLolo, Montanaand inNew Iberia, Louisiana.They have four children, includingAlafair Burke,a law professorand best-selling crime writer.Daughter Pamala Burke McDavid died in 2020.Extended family include cousins novelistElizabeth Nell Dubusand author and actressDeLauné Michel.

Bibliography

Dave Robicheaux

1. The Neon Rain(1987)
2. Heaven's Prisoners(1988)
3. Black Cherry Blues(1989)
4. A Morning for Flamingos(1990)
5. A Stained White Radiance(1992)
6. In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead(1993)
7. Dixie City Jam(1994)
8. Burning Angel(1995)
9. Cadillac Jukebox(1996)
10. Sunset Limited(1998)
11. Purple Cane Road(2000)
12. Jolie Blon's Bounce(2002)
13. Last Car to Elysian Fields(2003)
14. Crusader's Cross(2005)
15. Pegasus Descending(2006)
16. The Tin Roof Blowdown(2007)
17. Swan Peak(2008)
18. The Glass Rainbow(2010)
19. Creole Belle(2012)
20. Light of the World(2013)
21. Robicheaux(2018)
22. The New Iberia Blues(2019)
23. A Private Cathedral(2020)
24. Clete(2024)

Billy Bob Holland

1. Cimarron Rose(1997)
2. Heartwood(1999)
3. Bitterroot(2001)
4. In the Moon of Red Ponies(2004)

Hackberry Holland

1. Lay Down My Sword and Shield(1971)
2. Rain Gods(2009)
3. Feast Day of Fools(2011)

Holland Family Saga

1. Wayfaring Stranger (2014)
2. House of the Rising Sun(2015)
3. The Jealous Kind(2016)
4. Another Kind of Eden(2021)
5. Every Cloak Rolled in Blood(2022)

Miscellaneous

1. Half of Paradise(1965)
2. To The Bright and Shining Sun(1970)
3. Two for Texas(1982)
4. The Lost Get-Back Boogie(1986)
5. White Doves at Morning(2002)
6. Flags on the Bayou(2023)

Short-story collections

1. The Convict(1985)
2. Jesus Out to Sea(2007)
3. Harbor Lights(2024)

Statue honoring Burke in New Iberia, Louisiana.

Recognition

• 1988: Burke was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts in Fiction.Burke received the 2002 Louisiana Writer Award for his enduring contribution to the "literary intellectual heritage of Louisiana." The award was presented by the then-Lieutenant-Governor of Louisiana,Kathleen Blanco,on November 2, 2002, at a ceremony held at the inaugural Louisiana Book Festival inBaton Rouge.
• Burke has been recognized three times by theMystery Writers of America.
  • 2009: Burke received the MWA's Grand Master Award.A mystery novelist rarely wins both anEdgar awardand a Guggenheim fellowship.
• In 2024 he was named winner of theCrime Writers' Associationof Britain'sDiamond Daggeraward for his outstanding lifetime's contribution to the crime and mystery fiction genre.
• A statue of Burke was erected in downtown New Iberia, Louisiana in April of 2024.

External links

• Official website
• "The Man Behind Dave Robicheaux",James Lee Burke talks about violence, writing, littering, alcoholism, liberalism, and bestsellers.
• Interview with James Lee Burke,Speaking of Mysteries TV Series(2001)