I do these interviews, when possible, in two parts. For the first part I ask general biographical-type questions about the author, his style, his opinions on writing, etc. Then I finish the book(s) and ask a second set of questions as well as including follow-up questions to anything that needed, well, following up on from the first part.
Here then is the first part.
Scott Butki: How would you describe to your readers your two upcoming books, Jesus Out To Sea and Tin Roof Blowdown?
James Lee Burke: Jesus Out to Sea is a collection of stories based in one fashion or another on my experience growing up and spending a large part of my life on the southern rim of the United States. I feel blessed in the knowledge that I probably belong to the last generation that will remember what we call "traditional America."
I noticed that, at least based on the publicity materials for the two books, both deal in some way with Louisiana life during and after Katrina. Is that coincidence? Or are there issues you are trying to raise?
Two of the stories (the title story included) in the story collection deal with Katrina or its aftermath. The Tin Roof Blowdown also deals with both Rita and Katrina and their consequences.
Do you have any thoughts on how the government and media responded to Katrina?
In regard to the question about governmental response to Katrina, I think the facts probably speak for themselves. New Orleans was destroyed. The destruction of the city actually began in the first administration of Ronald Reagan and the shot behind the ear was delivered in '05. Others can come to their own conclusions. The United States Coast Guard performed heroically. I think Mr. Bush's attitudes and behavior belong in a category that has no name.
Article comments
1 - nancy
REGUARDING JAMES LEE BURKE ........the character of Dave Robicheaux having been portrayed in major motion pictures by Alec Baldwin, in Heaven's Prisoners from 1996, and by Tommy Lee Jones in this year's In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead. so sooooory ..... no one can play Dave Robicheaux but ALEC !
In fact, I don't know what happened to Heaven's Prisioners .... either it's release date wasn't timed right or it did not receive the Promo it deserved. It's one of my top 3 favorite movies.