Writing

I am looking for an agent for my middle-grade novel, What Have You Got to Lose? Jenni Batson, the narrator of What Have You Got to Lose?, is convinced that her grandmother will be making the biggest mistake of her life if she marries Mr. Doolin.  While Mr. Doolin is certainly no hottie, the main thing that concerns Jenni about him is that his grandson, Jarrett Doolin, lives with him. Jenni and her twin brother, Werner, are fifth graders at Kennerly Elementary School in Kennerly, Arkansas, and Jarrett Doolin is the one boy…Read more

I am delighted that my short story, "Fresh Start," has received an honorable mention for the 2014 Mary Mackey Short Story Prize.      Read more

On November 13, I read with JoAnn Balingit at the Delaware Art Museum as part of the Readings by Contemporary Authors Series. Reading at Delaware Art MuseumRead more

I was recently interviewed by author Elizabeth Huergo for her blog. An excerpt: HUERGO: What inspires you to write? BURNS MURPHY: I am inspired by people and their stories. Everybody has a story. I grew up in a culture where storytelling was as natural as breathing. I listened to family stories, work stories, Bible stories, and survival stories. The potential for drama lurked in each facet of everyday life. Later, I read the works of writers–Tennessee Williams, Flannery O’Connor, and Carson McCullers—whose stories resonated with me. When I was an MFA student at George Mason University, I had the…Read more