Ed Burns Memoir Hits Shelves, 'Public Morals' In The Works

Edward Burns never leaves the film world. The part-time East Hampton resident is a writing machine, pushing himself to work every day on a new screenplay—even during the time he spent penning his memoir, “Independent Ed,” released Tuesday by Gotham Books.

“That time was no exception,” Mr. Burns said in an email on Tuesday. “Especially given the fact that I had 10 episodes of ‘Public Morals’ to write.”

Coming to TNT this summer, “Public Morals” is Mr. Burns’s latest venture—a police drama he conceived, wrote, directed and stars in—with Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank on board as executive producers. To date, the filmmaker’s repertoire most notably includes “The Brothers McMullen,” “Sidewalks of New York” and a starring role in “Saving Private Ryan.”

The very nature of writing a memoir allowed him to revisit his earliest creative days, he said, back when he intended to be the next big American novelist—a fleeting dream, he soon realized, after falling in love with film and the indie movement.

In the 259 pages of “Independent Ed,” Mr. Burns relives his 47 years—his childhood, a chance meeting with Robert Redford, his dedication to small-budget filmmaking, his transition from writer to director to actor, and what he has learned from his missteps along the way.

“[The] first part of the process was sitting down with my co-writer, Todd Gold, who interviewed me,” Mr. Burns said. “We talked through every film I made—going back to my first student film, all the way through my new television show, ‘Public Morals.’ Todd then transcribed those interviews into the first draft of the book. I then took the next few months to flesh it out and put it into my own voice.”