Cormac McCarthy, a literary legacy, has passed away today from natural causes. He accomplished so many things in his life, from awards to publications to movie adaptations. Let’s learn about a significant contributor to the literary world.
Cormac McCarthy: A Background
In July of 1933, Cormac McCarthy was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Just short of his 90th birthday, he died from natural causes on June 13th, 2023. McCarthy was born Charles but renamed himself Cormac after the Irish king, although some sources say his family renamed him for other reasons. McCarthy studied liberal arts at the University of Tennessee and went on to serve four years in the U.S. Air Force. He spent two of those years stationed in Alaska, where in hosted a radio show.
Cormac McCarthy’s Career
Random House published his first novel, The Orchard Keeper, in 1965 after his second go at university. While at Random House, his editor, Albert Erskine, was the same used by William Faulkner. McCarthy authored twelve novels, including The Road, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, and a novel called Blood Meridian that he wrote while on a MacArthur Fellowship in 1981. McCarthy was known for writing Western and post-apocalyptic narratives.
Several of McCarthy’s novels were optioned for the screen. No Country for Old Men, published in 2005, was adapted into a feature-length film in 2007. The film starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin, among others, won numerous awards, including several Oscars, many BAFTAs, and a few OFTA Awards. The Road, All the Pretty Horses, and Child of God were also adapted from his novels.
Other Contributions
From 1974-1975, McCarthy worked on the screenplay The Gardner’s Son for PBS. He also published a play called The Stonemason in 1994 by Ecco Press. He also wrote the screenplay, The Counselor, which was directed by Ridley Scott and starred Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz.
At the young age of 89, Cormac McCarthy has left us. He left a massive legacy and impression on all bookish people in one form or another.
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