Interview with Jennie Burke

I interviewed writer Jennie Burke in Estelle Erasmus’ NYU class Writing Midlife. We spoke by telephone about her progress and process.  

Like many memoirists, Jennie Burke’s writing evolved during a difficult stage of her life, as she watched her beloved, hilarious brother struggle with heroin addiction. I met Jennie in an online writing course shortly after he died from an overdose this spring. By fall, she’d published essays relating to her loss, addiction and writing in Huffington Post, The Rumpus, Brevity and The New York Times. Jennie explained that “writing is evidence of survivorship – it’s an act of faith that everything is going to be okay.” 

JS: You’ve mentioned that you began writing seriously after your therapist suggested you write the book you couldn’t find. What was that book and are you still writing it? 

JB: I was an English teacher for nine years and I always dabbled in writing. I was looking for a book written by the sister of a using opiate addict, as my brother Matt was then an addict. When my therapist told me to start writing, I researched classes and found a program that offered exactly what I needed, just 20 minutes from my house, at Goucher College. I finished my MFA in 2018 and have been working on a book about my brother’s addiction ever since.  

JS: How has your mission and writing changed since your brother passed away in May of 2020?

JB: What happened to my brother in the last ten years became my life. The first draft of my book was the story of my brother’s undoing, and the resulting undoing of my own adult life. After reading my draft, an editor I admire told me it wasn’t a memoir because it wasn’t about me. Sadly, I’m just getting my life back since Matt’s overdose, because I no longer have a struggling addict that I’m trying to save. My book now is about my coming of age in middle age, about the life experiences that have enabled me to stand on my own, separate from my family of origin and how I let go of the trauma that I didn’t pick. 

JS: Tell me about your meeting with Senator Ben Cardin’s office about access to alternatives to opioids.  

JB: So much of nonfiction writing is about seizing timely opportunities. In the pandemic, I had the opportunity to write about losing my brother. I also wrote about how I helped my teenage daughter manage her post-surgical recovery without the pain medication the surgeon prescribed. In turn, a bi-partisan group called Non-Opioid Choices contacted me regarding their advocacy work to increase access to non-opioid approaches to pain management. Currently, Medicare covers only prescription opioids after acute surgery, not the existing alternatives. Non-Opioid Choices is working to get these alternatives included in COVID-relief packages because first, overdoses are on the rise in the pandemic and second, elective surgeries that were postponed in the early days of COVID are now being scheduled. Senator Cardin’s health aides were so kind to me. I observed very high-level and engaging discussions between our government and the group’s lobbyists. It’s healing for me to learn about this and advocate for alternatives. 

JS: Aside from your book project, what do you hope to work on next?

JB: A developing interest of mine is discussing the way we medicate children today. When we admitted my brother to rehab for the first time, the intake interviewer raised the possibility that Ritalin was Matt’s gateway drug. I’m pro-doctors, pro-science and completely on board with vaccinations, but I think there needs to be more parent-education on medication.  As a teacher, I’ve thought about the many students I had who lined up at the nurse at lunchtime for their pill. I’m not against medication – I know it saves people’s lives – but I think more people are prescribed medication than need to take it. We need to have open conversation about prescription medication, how to take it and how to stop taking it.  Writing only about addiction can be mentally draining. Someday, I’d love to try writing some humor pieces. 

JS: In your Brevity piece about writer’s block, you shared your daily routine which has helped your writing. What are your best tips for a newer writer (like me) who struggles with devoting time for writing and also being present for my family? 

JB: My good writing habits come and go in waves. I know it’s hard to write with little kids at home because it’s hard to write with big kids at home.  Writing is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it is going to be. Any time spent writing – even bad writing – is time well spent. I have to be well rested. I have to have sunshine and exercise and I have to eat well. One thing I’d like to improve is reading more as it helps my writing. Comparing yourself to other writer’s works and successes gets in the way of your writing. Add a supportive community who believes in you, open yourself to rejection and try to maintain healthy mental health habits.