Profile

Cory McCarthy (he/they) is the acclaimed author of four YA novels, as well as a forthcoming coauthored space fantasy duology and a nonfiction picture book about Arab American poet Kahlil Gibran.

Kirkus hailed his lyrical science fiction debut The Color of Rain as “an elegantly written and emotionally cathartic page-turner.” His futuristic thriller Breaking Sky is in development to become a major motion picture, and his contemporary You Were Here combines word art poetry, graphic novel, and prose. Cory’s feminist romcom Now a Major Motion Picture is, according to Kirkus, “a war cry and a love letter all at once,” and his novel in verse won the MG category of the Katherine Paterson Prize.

Cory holds a BA and MFA in creative writing, as well as a degree in screenwriting. He cofounded the annual Rainbow Writers Workshop with his partner and, like many of his characters, is a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

 

If you would like to speak with Cory about the WCYA program, please reach out to the WCYA program director: [email protected].

Education

MFA - WCYA | VCFA

Postgraduate Certificate - Screenwriting | UCLA

BA - Creative Writing | Ohio University

Selected work

Emily X.R. Pan

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Liz Garton Scanlon

Faculty Co-Chair, MFA in WCYA

Jane Kurtz

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Alex Sanchez

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

Sara Ryan

Faculty, MFA in WCYA

An Na

Faculty, MFA in WCYA; Writing Novels for Young People Retreat