Shannon Burke (born September 11, 1966) is an American novelist and screenwriter.
Biography Burke was born in Wilmette, Illinois and studied at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
After graduating he became a paramedic for the New York City Fire Department. Burke used these experiences in his novels Safelight (2004) and Black Flies (2008).Ramsey, Nancy, "On the Way to the Hospital a Novel is Born", New York Times, 12/2/2004Simon, Scott, "Novel 'Safelight' Tells Paramedic's Story", NPR, October 9, 2004
Burke has published four novels: Safelight (2004), Black Flies (2008), Into the Savage Country (2015), and The Brother Years (2020). He also has been involved in various film and television projects, including work on the script for the film Syriana (2005),IndieWire Lattanzio, Ryan, In the Works: Jason Clarke and Omar Sy Set to Star in ‘Syriana’ Writer/Director Stephen Gaghan’s ‘Candy Store’, April 4, 2013Penguin Random House - Shannon Burke Author Page and he is the co-creator and executive producer of the Netflix series Outer Banks.
Burke lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with his two sons.Penguin/Random House - Author PageShannon Burke Website
Novels Safelight (2004) Random House, Black Flies (2008) Soft Skull Press, Into the Savage Country (2015) Pantheon, The Brother Years (2020) Pantheon,
Critical reception Safelight, Burke's debut novel, is a love story involving a fencer with HIV and a paramedic who interacts with the world through photographs of his patients. Burke stated that he believed the novel was about “personal redemption.” The book was well received,Hood, Allison, Review of Safelight, San Francisco Chronicle, September 5, 2004 with the New York Times' Julia Livshin calling the novel “a minimalist tour de force.”Livshin, Julia, "The Allure of the Unknown," Safelight, New York Times, 10/10/2004 Daniel Menaker, ex-editor and chief of Random House, called Safelight one of "the most under-rated novels I've edited."Menaker, Daniel "The Most Underrated Novels I've Edited," The Daily Beast, November 19. 2013 Burke's second novel, Black Flies is about the trials and moral weathering of a paramedic. Burke himself was a paramedic in New York and used his experiences from that job for the novel.Schillinger, Liesl, "Blood and Guts, Sunday Book Review, New York Times, May 25, 2008 The book was noted for its realistic depiction of paramedics.Allen, Paul Goat, "A Roundup of Recent Crime Novels," Chicago Tribune, June 21, 2008O'Connell, John, Review of "Black Flies, The Guardian, August 21, 2009 In the New York Times, Liesl Schillinger called the novel “searing and morally resonant." Black Flies was a New York Times Notable book,New York Times Notable Book - 2008 was on the short list for numerous prizes,2008 Believer Book Award Short List and won France's Prix de Mystere de la critique. Into the Savage Country, Burke's third novel, a historical adventure, was a departure in setting and tone from his previous two novels. In a post publication interview, Burke said he wanted to write an adventure novel like "Kidnapped" or "White Fang."McNamee, Greg, An Interview with Shannon Burke, Kirkus, February 15, 2015 The novel was memorable for its historical depiction of trappers in the 1820sWiebe, Bruce, "Into the Savage Country" - Journey to a Gone World, Books and Culture, May 2015 and was generally well-received. It was a finalist for the Reading the West Book Award.Reading the West Book Award - Short List - 2015 The Brother Years is a coming of age novel, a roman a clef, based on Burke's childhood in suburban Chicago. It was published in August 2020.
Awards 2008 – Believer Book Award – Finalist for Black Flies 2010 – International Dublin Literary Award – Longlist for Black FliesBook Awards, International Impac Dublin Literary Award Longlist 2015 – Grand Prix de Littérature Policière – Runner Up for Black Flies 2015 – Prix Mystère de la critique – Winner for Black Flies 2015 – Reading the West Book Award – Shortlist for Into the Savage Country 2017 - Prix SNCF du Polar - Shortlist for "Black Flies"
References
External links Shannon Burke's Website