Profile of Jay McInerney on Famous Like Me

Jay McInerney (born 1955) is an American writer. He lives in New York City and is regarded as one of the brat pack authors.

His works include Bright Lights, Big City, Ransom, Story of My Life, Brightness Falls and The Last of the Savages. He also edited The Penguin Book of New American Voices and wrote the screenplay for the 1988 film adapation of Bright Lights, Big City.

McInerney’s career began with the zeitgeist, Bright Lights, Big City. Published in 1984, it was unique at that time for its depiction of cocaine culture in second person narrative. Bright Lights, Big City established his reputation as part of a new generation of writers, labelled the ‘literary brat pack' by the media. After the successful publication of Bright Lights, Big City, publishers started looking for similar works about young people in urban settings. Bret Easton Ellis' Less Than Zero published at the time was initially promoted as following McInerney’s example, further helping the press to seal the image of the new ‘Brat Pack' writers. Throughout his career McInerney has struggled against the strong, almost indelible, image of himself as both the author and protagonist of Bright Lights, Big City. ‘There's always been a personal element to my critical reception as a writer; people say that I'm too much of a public figure, too successful. My relationship with the press is an odd hall of mirrors.’ – Beatrice Interview, by Ron Hogan, 1997, http://www.beatrice.com/interviews/mcinerney/

He was mentioned as an icon for the 1980s on the television comedy Mystery Science Theatre 3000 in the episode "Hobgoblins".

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