Knopf announced on March 8 that it will publish two novels by Cormac McCarthy this fall, marking his first new works in 16 years. Despite this release, McCarthy is not expected to embark on a book tour, as he maintains a private life.
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Michael Hall noted in Texas Monthly in 1998 that McCarthy rarely engages with the public, stating, "He doesn’t give interviews, doesn’t give lectures, and doesn’t do book signings." This reclusiveness has fueled curiosity among fans and literary circles alike. While McCarthy has participated in a handful of discussions with major outlets like The New York Times Magazine (1992), Vanity Fair (2005), Oprah Winfrey (2007), and The Wall Street Journal (2009), his appearances have been limited. He also provided science writing tips in the journal Nature in 2019 and conducted a reading in Santa Fe in 2015.
David Sudak, a teacher at Catalina Foothills High School in Tucson, Arizona, had an unexpected opportunity to gather insights from McCarthy when his students chose to analyze his novel, All the Pretty Horses, for a project in the spring of 2014. Sudak encouraged the students to explore rhetorical analysis by choosing from various novels, and some students opted for McCarthy's work.
Sudak, who has a strong appreciation for McCarthy's writing, believes All the Pretty Horses resonates with high school audiences due to its evocative language, relatable desert setting, and complex themes. His students, Lily Wilhelm and Carly Oseran, decided to reach out to McCarthy through a friend of his who lived nearby. They drafted a series of questions regarding his writing and sent them via email.
As the students presented their projects, Sudak was impressed by their creativity and the unique twist of having communicated with a notoriously private author. McCarthy’s friend responded with answers to the students’ questions, attributing the responses directly to McCarthy.
In their correspondence, McCarthy offered candid thoughts: he sees writing as a subconscious act, perceives rhetorical analysis as detrimental to the reading experience, and believes that effectual writing transcends specific influences. He also stated that he doesn’t write for a particular audience but rather for himself, saying, "The reader in mind is me. If someone else would write these books I could go play golf."
The conversation captured the essence of McCarthy's approach to writing, reflecting both a reverence for the craft and a commitment to his individual vision.