Interview: James Lee Burke

More than 50 years on from his first book, the crime writer’s crime writer James Lee Burke continues to address the greatest issues of our time.

By Craig Sisterson In Books

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18th August, 2012

Interview

An archaeologist sifting dirt to uncover hidden history, a sculptor chipping away marble to release the image trapped within: for James Lee Burke, putting pen to paper – or fingers to keys – isn’t a matter of fleshing out pre-planned plotlines or detailed character biographies. Writing isn’t about creating art through contrivance; it’s something far less conscious. “I never see more than two scenes ahead … I don’t really plan things very well,” says Burke, who has been acclaimed as crime-writing’s gold standard for his lyrical, lush thrillers in which brutal violence is ...

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