Childhood and Education Journey of Cormac McCarthy in Timeline
How education and upbringing influenced the life of Cormac McCarthy. A timeline of key moments.
Cormac McCarthy was a celebrated American author known for his novels spanning Western, post-apocalyptic, and Southern Gothic genres. Characterized by graphic violence and a distinctive writing style featuring sparse punctuation and attribution, his works have secured his reputation as one of the greatest American novelists. He authored twelve novels, alongside plays, screenplays, and short stories.
1930: Jim Long Born
In 1930, Jim Long, McCarthy's childhood friend and later inspiration for J-Bone in Suttree, was born.
July 20, 1933: Cormac McCarthy Born
On July 20, 1933, Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr., later known as Cormac McCarthy, was born in Providence, Rhode Island.
July 20, 1933: Birth of Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr.
On July 20, 1933, Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr. was born in Providence, Rhode Island.
1937: Family Relocation to Knoxville
In 1937, McCarthy's family relocated to Knoxville, Tennessee, where his father worked as a lawyer.
1941: Family Settled in South Knoxville
By 1941, the McCarthy family had settled in a house on Martin Mill Pike in South Knoxville.
1951: Attends University of Tennessee
In 1951, McCarthy began attending the University of Tennessee, studying liberal arts.
1953: Joins U.S. Air Force
In 1953, McCarthy left college to join the U.S. Air Force.
1957: Returns to University of Tennessee
In 1957, McCarthy returned to the University of Tennessee, majoring in English and publishing stories in the student literary magazine.
1958: McCarthy starts using a mechanical typewriter
After 1958, McCarthy began using a mechanical typewriter for all his literary work and correspondence.
1959: Wins Ingram-Merrill Award and Drops Out
In 1959, McCarthy won the Ingram-Merrill Award for creative writing and dropped out of college, leaving for Chicago.
1961: Marriage to Lee Holleman
In 1961, McCarthy married fellow student Lee Holleman and moved to a shack in the Smoky Mountains.
1962: Birth of Son, Cullen
In 1962, McCarthy and Lee Holleman had a son named Cullen.
1965: Travels to Ireland
In the summer of 1965, McCarthy traveled to Ireland using a Traveling Fellowship award from The American Academy of Arts and Letters.
1969: Move to Louisville, Tennessee
In 1969, McCarthy and his wife Anne DeLisle moved to Louisville, Tennessee, and purchased a dairy barn.
1976: McCarthy quits drinking
According to Richard B. Woodward, McCarthy quit drinking in 1976 in El Paso, with one of his young girlfriends.
1976: Separation from Anne DeLisle and Move to El Paso
In 1976, McCarthy separated from Anne DeLisle and moved to El Paso, Texas.
2006: McCarthy's divorce from Jennifer Winkley
In 2006, McCarthy and Jennifer Winkley divorced.
December 2009: Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter auctioned
In December 2009, McCarthy's Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter was auctioned at Christie's for $254,500, with proceeds donated to the Santa Fe Institute. He replaced it with an identical model.
