Junior Burke
Junior Burke is an American fiction writer, songwriter and educator.
Fiction
Burke's novel, Something Gorgeous was published in 2005. This work of speculative fiction explored the background of the era that spawned The Great Gatsby, and was lauded for its invention by the UK's Historical Novel Society. In 2012, in a slightly revised version, it became available as an e/book. In 2005, Burke founded the online literary journal, "not enough night" and served as Executive Editor until he chose to discontinue publication in 2014. "A Thousand Eyes", an eco-horror novel, was published in 2018 in the UK and US by Cosmic Egg Books, an imprint of John Hunt Ltd. In 2020, "The Cold Last Swim", was published by Gibson House Press, one of five finalists for a Sidewise Award, the annual prize for works of Alternate History. Burke's short story "The Evan Price Signature Model" is included in the May 2021 anthology "Collectibles" edited by Lawrence Block, published by Subterranean Press. His satirical novel, “Buddha Was a Cowboy” will be published by Gibson House Press in September 2022.
Songwriter
"Spot of Time", a collection of original, poetically-based songs, was released in February 2018, produced by Max Davies. In 2021, Bongo Boy Records released the single "Any Eyes But Mine" as well as the seven-song ep "Nothin' But" produced by the creative team of Billy Panda and Grace McKay.
Educator
In 2002, for Naropa University, Burke designed and implemented a highly successful low residency MFA degree in Creative Writing. After three years of directing that program, he was tapped to be Chair of Naropa's Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, serving from January 2006 to June 2010. Burke remained at Naropa until 2020, at which time he informed the university he would no longer be serving on its faculty, deciding to focus exclusively on creative writing.