Derek McCormack (born June 20, 1969) is a Canadian

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

and

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

writer whose work is characterized by its extreme brevity and its humorous, often distinctly queer forms of sexual darkness. Born and raised in

Peterborough, Ontario Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...

, he currently lives in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. 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 feature about him,

Evan Solomon Evan Solomon (born April 20, 1968) is a Canadian politician and broadcaster who has been the minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation since May 2025. A member of the Liberal Party, Solomon was elected as the member of Parliam ...

, Russell Smith and

Andrew Pyper Andrew Pyper (March 29, 1968 – January 3, 2025) was a Canadian author. He published over ten works of fiction. Background Early life Pyper's parents emigrated from Northern Ireland to Stratford, Ontario. His father was an ophthalmologist ...

in ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

''. But unlike Solomon, Smith and Pyper, McCormack never evinced any particular desire for commercial 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 The Toronto Book Awards are Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the City of Toronto government The municipal government of Toronto ( incorporated as the City of Toronto) is the local government responsible for administering the cit ...

, and the inclusion of ''The Haunted Hillbilly'' on ''The Globe and Mail'' and ''

Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Ma ...

'' 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. In 2009, he served on the jury for the

Dayne Ogilvie Prize The Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ Emerging Writers is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada to an emerging Canadian writer who is part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer community. Origina ...

, a literary award for emerging LGBT writers in Canada, selecting

Debra Anderson Debra Anderson is a Canadian writer, who won the 2009 Dayne Ogilvie Prize from the Writers' Trust of Canada for an emerging lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender writer. A graduate of the creative writing program at York University, her public ...

as that year's prize winner."Code write"
. ''

Xtra! ''Xtra Magazine'' (formerly ''DailyXtra'' and ''Xtra!'') is an LGBTQ-focused digital publication and former print newspaper published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The publication is a continuation of the company's former p ...

'', June 18, 2009. In the fall of 2011, McCormack was diagnosed with a cancer in his digestive system, for which he underwent extensive surgery in March 2012."Fundraiser is a novel way to help out ailing writer Derek McCormack"
''

'', April 6, 2012. Numerous figures in Toronto's arts scene, including musicians

Jason Collett Jason Robert Collett is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. He has released six solo studio albums, and is a former member of Broken Social Scene. Early life Collett was born in Bramalea, Ontario, Bramalea, a Greater Toronto Area ...

Matthew Barber Matthew Elliott Barber (born January 10, 1977) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. His music has been classified as indie pop and pop rock with folk music, folk and alternative country influences. Barber was born and grew up in Port Credit, Ontar ...

and

Joe Pernice Joseph T. Pernice (born July 17, 1967) is an American indie rock musician and writer, who has fronted several bands, including the Scud Mountain Boys, Chappaquiddick Skyline, The New Mendicants and the Pernice Brothers. Early life Pernice wa ...

, writers

Sheila Heti Sheila Heti (; born 25 December 1976) is a Canadian writer. Early life Sheila Heti was born on 25 December 1976 in Toronto. Her parents are Hungarian Jewish immigrants. Her brother is comedian David Heti. Sheila Heti attended St. Clement's ...

and

Claudia Dey Claudia Dey (born 1972/1973) is a Canadian writer, based out of Toronto. Education Dey studied at St. Clement's before graduating in 1991 and moving on to study English literature at McGill University and playwriting at the National Theatre ...

and artists

Seth Seth, in the Abrahamic religions, was the third son of Adam and Eve. The Hebrew Bible names two of his siblings (although it also states that he had others): his brothers Cain and Abel. According to , Seth was born after Abel's murder by Cain, ...

David Altmejd David Altmejd (born 1974) is a Canadian sculptor who lives and works in Los Angeles. He creates highly detailed sculptures that often blur the distinction between interior and exterior, surface and structure, the beautiful and grotesque, figurat ...

and

Shary Boyle Shary Boyle (born May 26, 1972) is a contemporary Canadian visual artist working in the mediums of sculpture using the medium of ceramics, drawing, painting and performance art. She lives and works in Toronto. Early life and education Boyle wa ...

, participated in a series of charity events to fundraise for his medical and living expenses during his surgery and recuperation. In the December issue of

Artforum ''Artforum'' is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art. The magazine is distinguished from other magazines by its unique 10½ × 10½ inch square format, with each cover often devoted to the work of an artist. Notably ...

magazine, a Pas de Chance limited edition of his book "The Well-Dressed Wound" was featured in the "best of 2014."

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) * ''Line 3'' (2014) * ''The Well-Dressed Wound'' (2015) *''Castle Faggot (2020)''

References

External links

Derek McCormack interview in ''The Danforth Review''

Derek McCormack: In context and out

Village Voice profile

Christmas Days serialized on Bookninja (2005)
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCormack, Derek 1969 births Living people Canadian male novelists Canadian male short story writers Canadian gay writers People from Peterborough, Ontario Novelists from Toronto Canadian LGBTQ novelists 20th-century Canadian short story writers 21st-century Canadian short story writers 20th-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people Gay novelists