Cormac McCarthy best known for writing popular novels such as All the Pretty Horses, The Road, and No Country for Old Men has died. The American writer passed away at the age of 89 on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
The tragic news of the celebrated US writer Cormac’s demise was confirmed by his son John. Keep scrolling further to learn the cause behind the death of the revered novelist Cormac McCarthy.
What was the cause behind the demise of Cormac McCarthy?
The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Cormac McCarthy is no longer with us. His son John McCarthy announced the news of his passing. It has been reported that he died of natural causes at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Publisher Alfred A Knopf, a Penguin Random House imprint also put a statement to confirm Cormac’s passing. In a statement issued, Penguin Random House CEO Nihar Malaviya said, “For 60 years, he demonstrated an unwavering dedication to his craft, and to exploring the infinite possibilities and power of the written word.”
He went on to say, “Millions of readers around the world embraced his characters, his mythic themes, and the intimate emotional truths he laid bare on every page, in brilliant novels that will remain both timely and timeless, for generations to come.”
Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest U.S. novelists is survived by his two sons Cullen McCarthy, and John Francis McCarthy, one brother, two sisters, and two grandchildren.
Here’s all you need to know about Cormac McCarthy (including his early life, educational qualifications, and more)
Cormac McCarthy was an American writer who authored a total of 12 twelve novels, five screenplays, two plays, and three short stories which revolved around the Western and postapocalyptic genres.
As per McCarthy’s IMDb page, he was born Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr. in Providence, Rhode Island, on July 20, 1933, to Gladys Christina McGrail and Charles Joseph McCarthy. He grew up in an Irish Catholic family with his 5 siblings. Later on, he and his family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where his dad worked as a lawyer for the Tennessee Valley Authority.
At first, Cormac and his family resided on Noelton Drive in the upscale Sequoyah Hills subdivision but by the year 1941, they settled down in a house located on Martin Mill Pike in South Knoxville. In a media interaction, he said, “We were considered rich because all the people around us were living in one- or two-room shacks.”
Back in the day, the ‘No Country for Old Men’ writer went to St. Mary’s Parochial School and Knoxville Catholic High School. During his childhood days, he saw no value in school and tried to pursue his own interests. He even recalled a moment when one of his teachers asked the class about their hobbies.
Then, McCarthy eagerly waited for his turn to come. He said, “I was the only one with any hobbies and I had every hobby there was … name anything, no matter how esoteric. I could have given everyone a hobby and still had 40 or 50 to take home.”
In the year 1951, he attended the University of Tennessee, where he studied physics and engineering. Around that time, he got more interested in writing. After six years, he published two stories, “Wake for Susan” and “A Drowning Incident” in the student literary magazine. From there on, he didn’t look back.
Cormac McCarthy was a Pulitzer-Prize-winning author
Cormac’s first novel ‘The Orchard Keeper’ saw the light of day in 1965. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his 2006 novel, The Road, a post-apocalyptic tale about a father and son on a grueling journey of survival. His 2005 novel, No Country for Old Men was a big success and it was adapted into a feature film by the Coen brothers. The movie won 4 Oscars including Best Picture.
Cormac McCarthy liked to enjoy his life in private
Cormac was a talented author who didn’t like to be in the limelight. Over the years, he was rarely seen making public appearances at the red-carpet events or even doing media interviews.
During a 2007 interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, The Road author said, “I don’t think [interviews] are good for your head. If you spend a lot of time thinking about how to write a book, you probably shouldn’t be thinking about it, you probably should be doing it.”
Cormac McCarthy was married thrice
Throughout his life, McCarthy walked down the aisle a total of 3 times. At first, he tied the knot with Lee Holleman in the year 1961. The pair welcomed their first child together, son Cullen the next year. The two of them got divorced in 1966.
Soon after, McCarthy went on to marry Anne DeLisle in 1966. Their divorce was finalized in 1981. Then, he said ‘I Do’ to his third wife, Jennifer Winkley in 1997. The exes welcomed their only child together, son John Francis McCarthy in 1999. They divorced in 2006.
How did the celebs react to Cormac McCarthy’s death?
As soon as the heartbreaking news of Cormac McCarthy’s demise broke out, many renowned personalities from different fields flocked to the social media platform Twitter to offer their condolences.
The Shining author Stephen King paid a heartfelt tribute to Cormac on the social media platform Twitter. He tweeted, “Cormac McCarthy, maybe the greatest American novelist of my time, has passed away at 89. He was full of years and created a fine body of work, but I still mourn his passing.”
The Old Ways author Robert MacFarlane wrote, “Ah… Cormac McCarthy has died today. A giant of a writer, who wrote with a pen of iron, torqued language into new forms & worked the rhythms of prose into wire-flashes of lightning & great rolls of thunder.”
Comedian and Ratatouille star Patton Oswalt further added, “Death was not hilarious today. RIP Cormac McCarthy. A great favourite.” The Last of My Kind singer Jason Isbell penned, “I could go onstage and say ‘this next one was influenced by Cormac McCarthy’ and literally sing any song I’ve ever written.”
We send our deepest condolences to the close friends and family members of Cormac McCarthy during this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace. Don’t forget to stay tuned with us for the latest updates from the world of showbiz.
