Neecey's Lullaby

A passionate storyteller from an early age, Cris Burks always had a knack for creating captivating stories. In fact, her ability to bring her imagination to life began when she was a child, using her creativity to keep her sixteen younger siblings entertained and engaged. As the years went on, Cris’s passion for storytelling only grew deeper. After working hard to achieve her M.F.A. in creative writing at Columbia College Chicago, and teaching at Columbia for several years, she transformed her craft into a celebrated career as an author and poet.

Her work has been featured in numerous publications, most notably the anthology Gumbo: A Celebration of African American Writers. Her debut novel, SilkyDreamGirl, “a down-to-earth and engaging tale,” according to Booklist contributor Lillian Lewis, features Katie Coomers, thirty-seven, a veteran of four marriages, and still looking for love, but now on the internet. It went on to receive a spot on BET.com’s Best Books of 2002 list. Her follow-up novel, Neecey’s Lullaby, released in 2006, depicts an honest, heartfelt account of growing up through life’s tribulations and triumphs and what it means to find independence amongst it all.