Meet the Writer: Andrew McCarthy
“When I first met Andrew McCarthy, he had never been published,” recounts National Geographic Traveler Editor-in-Chief Keith Bellows. “He convinced me to take a chance on him.”
The wager paid off. For the past several years, McCarthy has been raking in accolades and awards for his distinctive storytelling and delivering brilliant prose again and again for Traveler, where the actor-director is now an editor at large.
“Andrew proves that if you can tell stories in one medium, chances are you can do it another,” Bellows says. “He has a keen idea for detail, understands the importance of characters, strong narrative and lively dialogue, and brings the places he visits alive on the page.”
Here’s a brief peek at the life and times of Andrew McCarthy:
Q: Where do you call home?
A: I live in New York City, the capital of the world.
Q: Many people were introduced to you as an actor. What made you want to start a career as a travel writer?
A: I started to write about travel because I felt a lot of the travel articles I was reading were missing the deeply personal, transformative nature of my experiences on the road.
Q: How are the two worlds different?
A: Acting, directing, writing–it’s all the same. It’s all storytelling.
Q: What’s your idea of paradise?
A: Paradise is a funny concept. It implies no friction, whereas I think an element of struggle is imperative to any place that’s dynamic.
Q: Do you remember a film that made you want to see the world?
A: Strangely enough, Day of the Jackal [a 1973 film about an assassin’s pursuit of French President Charles de Gaulle] makes the foreign very appealing. Like good travel writing, it uses specific detail of place to help propel the story.
Q: Where do you want to go next, what do you want to explore?
A: I’d love to get to Burma before McDonald’s gets there. I want to explore Bhutan, the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Yosemite. I’d like to write a story about rodeo in the West–it’s quintessentially American, yet a very alien culture to most of us.
Follow Andrew on Twitter @AndrewTMcCarthy
> Related:
- “The Art of the Deal,” McCarthy’s feature story about Morocco
- “Maui: Is There Anything Left to Discover?“
- Watch a clip of Andrew at a Nat Geo Live! event in D.C.
Related Topics
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- These 'trash fish' are among Earth's most primitive animalsThese 'trash fish' are among Earth's most primitive animals
- These photos are works of art—and the artists are bugsThese photos are works of art—and the artists are bugs
- The epic migration of a 6-foot long, 200-pound catfishThe epic migration of a 6-foot long, 200-pound catfish
- Frans de Waal, biologist who studied animal emotion, dies at 75Frans de Waal, biologist who studied animal emotion, dies at 75
Environment
- Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet? The answer isn't clear-cut.Are synthetic diamonds really better for the planet? The answer isn't clear-cut.
- This year's cherry blossom peak bloom was a warning signThis year's cherry blossom peak bloom was a warning sign
- The U.S. just announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?The U.S. just announced an asbestos ban. What took so long?
- The most dangerous job? Inside the world of underwater weldersThe most dangerous job? Inside the world of underwater welders
- The harrowing flight that wild whooping cranes make to surviveThe harrowing flight that wild whooping cranes make to survive
History & Culture
- Meet the powerful yokai that inspired the demon king in ‘Demon Slayer’Meet the powerful yokai that inspired the demon king in ‘Demon Slayer’
- A surprising must-wear for European monarchs? Weasels.A surprising must-wear for European monarchs? Weasels.
- Meet the woman who made Polaroid into a cultural iconMeet the woman who made Polaroid into a cultural icon
- Inside the observatory that birthed modern astrophysicsInside the observatory that birthed modern astrophysics
Science
- LED light treatments for skin are trendy—but do they actually work?LED light treatments for skin are trendy—but do they actually work?
- NASA smashed an asteroid. The debris could hit Mars.NASA smashed an asteroid. The debris could hit Mars.
- Humans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying themHumans really can have superpowers—scientists are studying them
- Why engineers are concerned about aging infrastructureWhy engineers are concerned about aging infrastructure
Travel
- 2024 will be huge for astrotourism—here’s how to plan your trip2024 will be huge for astrotourism—here’s how to plan your trip
- Play and stay in the mountains of eastern Nevada
- Paid Content
Play and stay in the mountains of eastern Nevada - This couple quit the city to grow wasabi in Japan's mountainsThis couple quit the city to grow wasabi in Japan's mountains