Eric Burns has won major awards in three distinct genres. His literary talents, in other words are almost uniquely diverse. His first play captured the Eudora Welty Emerging Playwrights Competition in 2010, and had its World Premiere at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in 2012. He was named one of the best writers in the history of television journalism, joining such luminaries as Edward R. Murrow, Charles Kuralt, Walter Cronkite and David Brinkley. He also took home an Emmy for writing commentary. As an author, his 1920: The Year That Made the Decade Roar was chosen as one of the best non-fiction books of 2015. Two of his other volumes won the highest award given by the American Library Association, being selected as the Best of the Best in 2004 (his history of alcohol) and 2007 (his history of tobacco). Burns does not smoke or drink. Mid-Strut is his first novel.