Jay McInerney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jay McInerney
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McInerney at Pen America/Free Expression Literature in May 2014
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| Born |
John Barrett McInerney Jr.
January 13, 1955 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Education | Williams College Syracuse University (MA) |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Spouse(s) |
Anne Hearst
(m. 2006) |
| Children | 2 |
John Barrett "Jay" McInerney Jr. (born January 13, 1955) is a well-known American writer. He writes novels, screenplays for movies, and columns for magazines. His most famous novel is Bright Lights, Big City. He has also written other popular books like Ransom and Story of My Life. Jay McInerney has also worked as a wine columnist for The Wall Street Journal.
Contents
Early Life and School
Jay McInerney was born in 1955 in Hartford, Connecticut. His father, John Barrett McInerney Sr., was a business executive. Jay went to Williams College and graduated in 1976. Later, he studied English at Syracuse University. There, he learned writing from a famous author named Raymond Carver.
Writing Career
Jay McInerney first worked as a fact-checker at The New Yorker magazine. He became very famous with his first published novel, Bright Lights, Big City. The book's title came from a blues song by Jimmy Reed.
This novel made McInerney known as part of a new group of writers. In the 1980s, he, along with Bret Easton Ellis and Tama Janowitz, were called the 'literary brat pack'. This meant they were seen as young, fresh, and exciting new voices in literature.
After Bright Lights, Big City was a hit, publishers looked for similar stories. These stories were often about young people living in big cities. McInerney, Ellis, and Janowitz all lived in New York City. Their lives there were often talked about in the media.
Jay McInerney has written many other novels, including:
- Ransom
- Story of My Life
- Brightness Falls
- The Last of the Savages
- Model Behavior
Sometimes, characters from one author's book might appear in another author's book. For example, a character from McInerney's Story of My Life also appeared in novels by Bret Easton Ellis.
McInerney has often talked about being known mostly for Bright Lights, Big City. In 2009, he said that while the book helped him become a full-time writer, it sometimes made people overlook his other works. He gave a speech at Williams College in 2010.
Personal Life
Jay McInerney has been married several times. His first wife was Linda Rossiter, a fashion model. His second wife was a writer named Merry Reymond. He also lived with fashion model Marla Hanson for four years.
His third marriage was to Helen Bransford. They were married for nine years and had two children, twins named John Barrett McInerney III and Maisie Bransford McInerney. In 2006, he married Anne Hearst.
Film and Television Work
Jay McInerney has also worked in movies and television.
Movies
- He wrote the screenplay for the 1988 movie Bright Lights, Big City. The movie starred Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland, and Phoebe Cates.
Television
- McInerney appeared in the TV series Gossip Girl. He played a fictional novelist named Jeramiah Harris. This character was a mentor to another aspiring writer in the show.
- He wrote an episode called "Getting Rid Of Robert" for the HBO series Hotel Room.
- He was interviewed for a TV show called The South Bank Show about Bret Easton Ellis.
- In 2013, McInerney presented a documentary about the writer F. Scott Fitzgerald for the BBC series The Culture Show.
