attention primarily to a place, an encounter, or an experience rather than the author’s physical appearance. McCarthy could tell stories without the visual expectations that accompanied his acting career. He approached travel journalism seriously enough to earn recognition from professional writers rather than relying solely on his established name. That achievement appears especially meaningful given how skeptical people can be when celebrities enter unrelated professions. He gradually proved that storytelling on the page was not a temporary experiment.
By the time McCarthy created Brats, he was able to look directly
