Andrew Henry Vachss ( ; October 19, 1942 – November 23, 2021) was an American

crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

author, child protection consultant, and attorney exclusively representing children and

youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. Yo ...

Early life and career

Vachss grew up in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

on the Lower West Side. Before becoming a lawyer, Vachss held many front-line positions in child protection. He was a federal investigator in

sexually transmitted disease Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral ...

s, and a New York City social-services caseworker. He worked in

Biafra Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...

, entering the war zone just before the fall of the country. There he worked to find a land route to bring donated food and medical supplies across the border after the seaports were blocked and Red Cross airlifts banned by the Nigerian government; however, all attempts ultimately failed, resulting in rampant starvation. After he returned and recovered from his injuries, including malaria and malnutrition, Vachss studied community organizing in 1970 under

Saul Alinsky Saul David Alinsky (January 30, 1909 – June 12, 1972) was an American community activist and political theorist. His work through the Chicago-based Industrial Areas Foundation helping poor communities organize to press demands upon landlords ...

. He worked as a

labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the la ...

organizer and ran a self-help center for urban migrants in Chicago. He then managed a re-entry program for ex-convicts in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, and finally directed a maximum-security prison for violent juvenile offenders. As an attorney, Vachss represented only children and adolescents. In addition to his private practice, he served as a law guardian in New York state. In every child abuse or neglect case, state law requires the appointment of a law guardian, a lawyer who represents the child's interests during the legal proceedings.

Writings

Andrew Vachss was the author of 33 novels and three collections of

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

, as well as poetry, plays, song

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a " libretto" and their writer, ...

, and

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

s. As a novelist, he was perhaps best known for his Burke series of hardboiled mysteries; ''Another Life'' constituted the finale to the series. After completing the Burke novels, Vachss began two new series. Vachss released the first novel in the Dell & Dolly trilogy, entitled ''Aftershock'', in 2013. The second novel, ''Shockwave'', was released in 2014, and ''Signwave'', the final book, was published in June 2015. Departing from Vachss' familiar urban settings, the trilogy focuses on Dell, a former soldier and assassin, and Dolly, a former nurse with

Doctors Without Borders Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

and the love of Dell's life. While living in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Tho ...

, Dell and Dolly use their war-honed skills to maintain a "heads on stakes" barrier against the predators who use their everyday positions in the community as camouflage in order to attack the vulnerable. The Cross series uses distinctive supernatural aspects to further explore Vachss' argument that society's failure to protect its children is the greatest threat to the human species. In 2012, Vachss' published ''Blackjack: A Cross Novel'', featuring the mercenary Cross Crew, introduced in earlier Vachss short stories as Chicago's most-feared criminal gang. ''Urban Renewal'', the second novel in the Cross series, came out in 2014. The third in the series, ''Drawing Dead'', was released in 2016. In addition to the ''Aftershock'', ''Burke'', and ''Cross'' series, Vachss wrote several stand-alone works. The first novel he published outside the Burke series was ''Shella.'' Released in 1993, ''Shella'' was the most polarizing of his works in terms of critical response. Vachss often referred to ''Shella'' as his "beloved orphan" until the 2004 release of ''The Getaway Man'', a tribute to the Gold Medal paperback originals of the 1960s. In 2005, Vachss released the epic ''Two Trains Running'', a novel which takes place entirely during a two-week span in 1959, a critical period in American history. In form, ''Two Trains Running'' presents as a work composed entirely of transcribed surveillance tapes, akin to a

collage film Collage film is a style of film created by juxtaposing found footage from disparate sources. The term has also been applied to the physical collaging of materials onto film stock. Surrealist roots The surrealist movement played a critical role i ...

constructed only of footage from a single source. His 2009 novel, ''Haiku'', focuses on the troubled lives of a band of homeless men in New York City, struggling to connect with and protect each other. In 2010, Vachss published two books: his novel ''The Weight'', is a noir romance involving a professional thief and a young widow in hiding. ''Heart Transplant'', an illustrated novel in an experimental design, tells the story of an abused and bullied young boy who finds his inner strength with the help of an unexpected mentor. ''That's How I Roll'', released in 2012, chronicles the death-row narrative of a hired killer as he reveals the secrets of his past, both horrifying and tender. Vachss collaborated on works with authors Jim Colbert (''Cross'', 1995) and Joe R. Lansdale ('' Veil's Visit'', 1999). He also created illustrated works with artists Frank Caruso (''Heart Transplant'', 2010) and

Geof Darrow Geofrey "Geof" Darrow (born October 21, 1955) is an American comic book artist, best known for his work on comic series ''Shaolin Cowboy'', '' Hard Boiled'' and ''The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot'', which was adapted into an animated televisi ...

(''Another Chance to Get It Right'', 1993; ''The Shaolin Cowboy Adventure Magazine'', 2014). Vachss' graphic novel, ''Underground'', was released in November 2014. Vachss also wrote non-fiction, including numerous articles and essays on child protection and a book on juvenile criminology. His books have been translated into 20 languages, and his shorter works have appeared in many publications, including '' Parade'', ''

Antaeus Antaeus (; Ancient Greek: Ἀνταῖος ''Antaîos'', "opponent", derived from , ''antao'' – 'I face, I oppose'), known to the Berbers as Anti, was a figure in Berber and Greek mythology. He was famed for his defeat by Heracles as part ...

'', '' Esquire'', ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...

'', and ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

''. Vachss' literary awards include the

Grand Prix de Littérature Policière The Grand Prix de Littérature Policière (or the Police Literature Grand Prize) is a French literary prize founded in 1948 by author and literary critic Maurice-Bernard Endrèbe. It is the most prestigious award for crime and detective fiction in ...

for '' Strega'' s ''La Sorcière de Brooklyn'' the Falcon Award, Maltese Falcon Society of Japan, for ''Strega''; the

Deutscher Krimi Preis The Deutscher Krimi Preis, or the ''German Crime Fiction Award'', is the oldest and most prestigious German literary prize for crime fiction. It has been awarded since 1985 by the Bochum Crime Archive. Unlike the Friedrich Glauser Prize, which is ...

for ''Flood'' s ''Kata'' and the Raymond Chandler Award for his body of work. Andrew Vachss was a member of

PEN A pen is a common writing instrument that applies ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Early pens such as reed pens, quill pens, dip pens and ruling pens held a small amount of ink on a nib or in a small void or cavity wh ...

and the

Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO * The Writers Gu ...

. His autobiographical essay was added by invitation to ''Contemporary Authors'' in 2003.

Child protection

Many of Vachss' novels feature the shadowy, unlicensed investigator

Burke Burke is an Anglo-Norman Irish surname, deriving from the ancient Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman noble dynasty, the House of Burgh. In Ireland, the descendants of William de Burgh (–1206) had the surname ''de Burgh'' which was gaelicised ...

, an

ex-con A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convict ...

career criminal A habitual offender, repeat offender, or career criminal is a person convicted of a crime who was previously convicted of crimes. Various state and jurisdictions may have laws targeting habitual offenders, and specifically providing for enhanced o ...

, and deeply conflicted character. About his protagonist, Vachss said: Vachss coined the phrase "''Children of the Secret''", which refers to abused children, of whatever age, who were victimized without ever experiencing justice, much less love and protection. In the Burke novels, some of these Children of the Secret have banded together as adults into what Vachss called a "family of choice". Their connection is not biological, and they form very loyal bonds. Most are career criminals; none allows the law to come before the duty to family. Vachss originated the term "''Circle of Trust.''" which has since entered general circulation. Vachss coined the term to combat the mistaken over-emphasis on "stranger danger," a bias that prevents society from focusing on the most common way children are accessed for victimization: Another term Vachss originated is "''Transcenders.''"

Dogs

Another important theme that pervades Vachss' work is his love of dogs, particularly breeds considered "dangerous," such as

Doberman The Dobermann (; ), or Doberman Pinscher in the United States and Canada, is a medium-large breed of domestic dog that was originally developed around 1890 by Louis Dobermann, a tax collector from Germany.rottweilers The Rottweiler (, ) is a breed of domestic dog, regarded as medium-to-large or large. The dogs were known in German as , meaning Rottweil butchers' dogs, because their main use was to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat t ...

, and especially pit bulls. Throughout his writings, Vachss asserted that with dogs, just as with humans, "you get what you raise." He was a passionate advocate against

animal abuse Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction by omission (neglect) or by commission by humans of suffering or harm upon non-human animals. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm or suf ...

such as

dog-fighting Dog fighting is a type of blood sport that turns game and fighting dogs against each other in a physical fight, generally to the death, for the purposes of gambling or entertainment to the spectators. In rural areas, fights are often staged in ...

, and against breed-specific legislative bans. With fellow crime writer James Colbert, Vachss trained dogs to serve as

therapy dog A therapy dog is a dog that is trained to provide affection, comfort and support to people, often in settings such as hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, libraries, hospices, or disaster areas. In contrast to assistance dogs, w ...

s for abused children. The dogs have a calming effect on traumatized children. Vachss noted that using these particular breeds further increases the victims' feelings of security; their "dangerous" appearance, in combination with the extensive therapy training, makes them excellent protection against human threats. During her time as chief prosecutor, Alice Vachss regularly brought one such trained dog, Sheba, to work with abused children being interviewed at the Special Victims Bureau.

Personal life

When Vachss was 7 years old, an older boy swung a chain at his right eye. The resulting injuries damaged the eye muscles and resulted in his wearing an eyepatch. According to Vachss, removing it had the effect of a

strobe light A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope. The word originated from the Ancient Greek ('), meaning ...

flashing in his face. Vachss also had a small blue heart tattooed on his right hand. Vachss' wife, Alice, was a sex crimes prosecutor, and she later became Chief of the Special Victims Bureau in

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

, New York. She is the author of the nonfiction book ''Sex Crimes: Ten Years on the Front Lines Prosecuting Rapists and Confronting Their Collaborators'', a ''New York Times'' Notable Book of the Year. She has continued her work as Special Prosecutor for Sex Crimes in rural Oregon. He died of coronary artery disease on November 23, 2021, at the age of 79 at his residence in Pacific Northwest.

Honors and awards

Professional honors and awards

*A/V Peer Review (highest rating) by

Martindale-Hubbell Martindale-Hubbell is an information services company to the legal profession that was founded in 1868. The company publishes the ''Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory'', which provides background information on lawyers and law firms in the United S ...

*2004, LL.D. (Hon.) Case Western Reserve University *2003, First Annual Harvey R. Houck Award (Justice for Children) *2003, First Annual Illuminations Award (St. Vincent's Center National Child Abuse Prevention Program) *1994, Childhelp Congressional Award *1976, John Hay Whitney Foundation Fellow *1970,

Industrial Areas Foundation The Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) is a national community organizing network established in 1940 by Saul Alinsky, Roman Catholic Bishop Bernard James Sheil and businessman and founder of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' Marshall Field III. The IAF p ...

Training Institute Fellow

Literary honors and awards

*2000, Raymond Chandler Award, Giurìa a Noir in Festival, Courmayeur, Italy, for body of writing *1989,

, Die Jury des Bochumer Krimi Archivs, Germany, for ''Flood'' (as ''Kata'') *1989,

Maltese Falcon Award The Maltese Falcon Society is an organization for admirers of Dashiell Hammett, his 1930 novel '' The Maltese Falcon,'' and hardboiled mystery books and writers in general. Founded in San Francisco in 1981, the organization is no longer active in th ...

, Japan, for ''Strega'' *1988,

, France, for ''Strega'' (as ''La Sorciere de Brooklyn'')

Bibliography

''The Burke series''

#''Flood'' (1985) #'' Strega'' (1987) #''Blue Belle'' (1988) #''Hard Candy'' (1989) #''Blossom'' (1990) #''Sacrifice'' (1991) #''Down in the Zero'' (1994) #''Footsteps of the Hawk'' (1995) #''False Allegations'' (1996) #''Safe House'' (1998) #''Choice of Evil'' (1999) #''Dead and Gone'' (2000) #''Pain Management'' (2001) #''Only Child'' (2002) #''Down Here'' (2004) #''Mask Market'' (2006) #''Terminal'' (2007) #''Another Life'' (2008)

''The Cross series''

#''Blackjack: A Cross Novel'' (2012) #''Urban Renewal: A Cross Novel'' (2014) #''Drawing Dead: A Cross Novel'' (2016)

''The Aftershock trilogy''

#''Aftershock'' (2013) #''Shockwave'' (2014) #''Signwave'' (2015)

Other novels

*''Shella'' (1993) *'' Batman: The Ultimate Evil'' (1995) *''The Getaway Man'' (2003) *''Two Trains Running'' (2005) *''Haiku'' (2009) *''The Weight'' (2010) *''A Bomb Built in Hell'' (2012) *''That's How I Roll'' (2012) *Carbon (2019) *Blood Line (2022)

Novelettes

*''The Questioner'' (2018)

Short story collections

*''Born Bad'' (1994) *''Everybody Pays'' (1999) *''Proving It'' (2001) audiobook collection. *''Dog Stories'' – online collection. *''Mortal Lock'' (2013)

Comic books and graphic novels

*''Hard Looks'' (1992–93) – ten-issue series. *''Andrew Vachss' Underground'' (1993-1994) – four-issue series of illustrated and non-illustrated short stories. Contains Vachss' "Underground" stories (that are also featured in ''Born Bad''), as well as stories by other authors that exist within Vachss' "Underground" world. *'' Batman: The Ultimate Evil'' (1995) – two-issue adaptation of the novel. *''Cross'' (1995) – seven-issue series with James Colbert. *''Predator: Race War'' (1993) – five-issue series; (1995) collected edition. *''Alamaailma'' (1997) – Finnish graphic novel, illustrating two of the "Underground" short stories from ''Born Bad''. *''Hard Looks'' (1996, 2002) – trade paperback. *''Another Chance To Get It Right: A Children's Book for Adults'' (1993, 1995) (reprinted with additional material and new cover, 2003, 2016) *''Heart Transplant'' (2010) *''Underground'' (2014)

Plays

*''Placebo'' (in ''Antaeus'', 1991) *''Warlord'' (in ''Born Bad'', 1994) *''Replay'' (in ''Born Bad'', 1994)

Non-fiction

*''The Life-Style Violent Juvenile: The Secure Treatment Approach'' (Lexington, 1979) *''The Child Abuse-Delinquency Connection — A Lawyer's View'' (Lexington, 1989) *'' Parade Magazine'' articles (1985–2006)

References

External links

* , The Zero
KBOO Portland radio interview

''The Cult'' interview by Rob W. Hart

Interview of Andrew Vachss on his final Burke novel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vachss, Andrew 1942 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American crime fiction writers American graphic novelists American legal writers American male novelists Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award winners Case Western Reserve University alumni Child abuse Lawyers from New York City Maltese Falcon Award winners Writers from Manhattan American male essayists People of the Nigerian Civil War American expatriates in Nigeria American male short story writers 20th-century American short story writers 21st-century American short story writers 21st-century American essayists 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers Novelists from New York (state) 20th-century American essayists