283. Edward Burns with Katy Sewall: A Kid from Marlboro Road

Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series

Edward Burns is known for his work as an actor and filmmaker, and now he’s debuting his novel-writing skills in A Kid from Marlboro Road. Set in the 1970s, his novel follows an Irish-American family living on Long Island––elements inspired by Burns’s own childhood. This coming-of-age tale explores the impacts of family history, the growing independence in early adolescence, death and grief, and dynamic family relationships.

Burns tells the story through the eyes of a 13-year-old boy, Kneeney, who opens the tale at the wake of his beloved grandfather, Pop. The wake’s overflowing crowd of characters include sandhogs in their muddy work boots, elderly Irish women in black dresses, and cops in uniform.

Kneeney, an aspiring writer, weaves together stories about these characters and his immediate family: his older brother Tommy has no patience for rules and domesticities, and his father is emotionally elsewhere. His mother struggles with her own sadness, which threatens to envelop both her and Kneeney. Throughout Burns’s novel, Kneeney learns more about his family history while also experiencing more losses and a deepening understanding of the world around him.

Burns brings to life stories of characters based on his own childhood, portrayals of Irish-Americans who have inspired some of his films, and now, on the page.

Born in Woodside, Queens and raised on Long Island, Edward Burns has made fourteen feature films as writer-director-actor and starred in many films, including Saving Private Ryan. Burns’ first film, The Brothers McMullen, premiered in competition at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury prize. The film also won “Best First Feature” at the 1996 Independent Spirit Awards. In 2015, he published Independent Ed, an inside look at his two decades as a pioneer in independent filmmaking. A Kid from Marlboro Road is his first novel, based on his childhood memories and the Irish American communities of the Bronx and Long Island.

Katy Sewall is the host and creator of “The Bittersweet Life” podcast. She’s a writer, podcast consultant, and a Public Radio professional frequently heard on 94.9 KUOW. She’s also the former Program Director at Town Hall.

Buy the Book A Kid from Marlboro Road: A Novel

The Elliott Bay Book Company