Derek McCormack (writer)
Encyclopedia
Derek McCormack is a Canadian
novelist and short story
writer whose work is characterized by its extreme brevity and its humorous, often distinctly queer forms of sexual darkness.
McCormack's first book, 1996's Dark Rides, was published by Gutter Press, a small Canadian press founded by Sam Hiyate as part of a mid-1990s boomlet in alternative publishing in Toronto. That first book was edited by Ken Sparling, who left his aggressively minimalist imprint on it and McCormack's emerging style. The author/editor relationship was reversed in 2005, when McCormack edited Sparling's For Those Whom God Has Blessed With Fingers.
The subject of positive reviews and other media coverage, McCormack was frequently described at the beginning of his career as being part of a new generation of Canadian writers, most notably in a 1996 Globe and Mail feature about him, Evan Solomon
, Russell Smith and Andrew Pyper
.
But unlike Solomon, Smith and Pyper, McCormack never evinced any particular desire for mainstream success, and his books stayed short and dark, and were published by a succession of small presses. Though they continued to get positive attention, including a nomination of Wild Mouse for the 1999 City of Toronto Book Award
, and the inclusion of The Haunted Hillbilly on the Globe and Mail and Village Voice lists of the best books of the year for 2004, McCormack is now firmly a niche or cult writer rather than part of mainstream Canadian literary culture.
Born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario
, he currently lives in Toronto
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
novelist and short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer whose work is characterized by its extreme brevity and its humorous, often distinctly queer forms of sexual darkness.
McCormack's first book, 1996's Dark Rides, was published by Gutter Press, a small Canadian press founded by Sam Hiyate as part of a mid-1990s boomlet in alternative publishing in Toronto. That first book was edited by Ken Sparling, who left his aggressively minimalist imprint on it and McCormack's emerging style. The author/editor relationship was reversed in 2005, when McCormack edited Sparling's For Those Whom God Has Blessed With Fingers.
The subject of positive reviews and other media coverage, McCormack was frequently described at the beginning of his career as being part of a new generation of Canadian writers, most notably in a 1996 Globe and Mail feature about him, Evan Solomon
Evan Solomon
Evan Solomon is a Canadian writer, magazine publisher and television journalist, who currently hosts the nightly series Power & Politics on CBC News Network. Beginning in September 2011, he will also host CBC Radio One's weekly political affairs series The House.Solomon graduated from McGill...
, Russell Smith and Andrew Pyper
Andrew Pyper
Andrew Pyper is a Canadian writer of fiction. Born in 1968, he received a BA and an MA in English Literature from McGill University, as well as a law degree from the University of Toronto. Although called to the bar in 1996, he has never practiced. He lives in Toronto.-Published works: A collection...
.
But unlike Solomon, Smith and Pyper, McCormack never evinced any particular desire for mainstream success, and his books stayed short and dark, and were published by a succession of small presses. Though they continued to get positive attention, including a nomination of Wild Mouse for the 1999 City of Toronto Book Award
City of Toronto Book Award
The Toronto Book Awards are Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the city of Toronto to the author of the year's best fiction or non-fiction book or books "that are evocative of Toronto"....
, and the inclusion of The Haunted Hillbilly on the Globe and Mail and Village Voice lists of the best books of the year for 2004, McCormack is now firmly a niche or cult writer rather than part of mainstream Canadian literary culture.
Born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
, he currently lives in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Works
- Dark Rides (1996)
- Wild Mouse (with Chris Chambers, 1998)
- Halloween Suite (1998)
- Wish Book (1999)
- Western Suit (2001)
- The Haunted Hillbilly (2003)
- Grab Bag (2004)
- Christmas Days (2005)
- The Show That Smells (2008)