Nick McDonell

by James Skinner     Issue 807
Nick McDonell

Critical endorsements from Hunter S. Thompson, Germaine Greer and newspapers the world over, a place at Harvard, and a bestselling debut novel that earned him the often over-used “voice of a generation” status: Nick McDonell has accomplished more in 21 years than most writers do in a lifetime. Yes, that’s 21 years; life isn’t fair, I know.

Anyhow, the morning our interview is scheduled also happens to be the morning after the UK launch of his second (and very fine) book The Third Brother, and McDonell is suitably hungover; in fact, my call to his hotel wakes him up, and he greets me in a groggy New York drawl, relaying to me some of the events of the previous evening as if he’s trying to work them out for the first time himself. I want to hate him. He’s my age. But as the interview unfolds he remains croakily articulate on a variety of subjects, provoking nothing in me but a sort of inspiring, jealousy-tinged awe. Dammit, he’s that good.

Read article Comment