What made Cormac McCarthy such a great writer

+ floods as a weapon US Edition - Today's top story: Cormac McCarthy's fearless approach to writing [View in browser]( US Edition | 17 June 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Novelist Cormac McCarthy, who died on Tuesday at his home in New Mexico, didn’t achieve mainstream success until the publication of “All the Pretty Horses,” when he was 58 years old. Though it took the public a while to recognize his immense talent, many of his fellow writers had already been keenly aware of his gifts. After McCarthy’s first novel, “The Orchard Keeper,” was published in 1965, Ralph Ellison raved that the young author was a “writer to be read, to be admired, and quite honestly – envied.” Bill Hardwig, an English professor at the University of Tennessee, writes that it was [McCarthy’s fearless approach to experimentation]( that set him apart. Pointing to two of McCarthy’s most beloved works, “Blood Meridian” and “The Road,” Hardwig highlights McCarthy’s versatility, which demonstrates the author’s “love of words and the endless possibilities of language.” This week we also liked articles about how [colonialism can still determine where plant specimens]( are located, [how taste buds respond when you eat a lot of sweet stuff]( and [hip-hop’s global reach](. Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor Today's newsletter supported by [generous readers like you.]( McCarthy attends the 2009 premiere of the film adaptation of his novel ‘The Road.’ Evan Agostini/AP Photo [Cormac McCarthy’s fearless approach to writing]( Bill Hardwig, University of Tennessee The Pulitzer Prize-winning author was always willing to experiment with his prose, pacing and narration, crafting an oeuvre that varied wildly in style and structure. Digitizing plants preserved in the herbarium at La Sapienza University in Rome. Mimmo Frassineti/AGF/Universal Images Group via Getty Images [Colonialism has shaped scientific plant collections around the world – here’s why that matters]( Daniel Park, Purdue University The colonial era profoundly shaped natural history museums and collections. Herbaria, which are scientists’ main source of plant specimens from around the world, are no exception. Daniel Ellsberg addresses supporters during an anti-war protest in 2010 in front of the White House. Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images [‘Courage is contagious’: Daniel Ellsberg’s decision to release the Pentagon Papers didn’t happen in a vacuum]( Christian Appy, UMass Amherst The Vietnam War whistleblower, who died on June 16, 2023, wrestled with his decision to leak thousands of pages of government documents. - [Can we train our taste buds for health? A neuroscientist explains how genes and diet shape taste]( Monica Dus, University of Michigan Research is clear that what we eat can drive our test preferences as early as 2 years of age. - [Russians are using age-old military tactic of flooding to combat Ukraine’s counteroffensive]( Liam Collins, United States Military Academy West Point The ongoing war in Ukraine has forced the Russian military to reassess its ability to defend its territorial gains. The flooding of the Dnieper River gives the Russians a natural defense. - [After ‘Rapper’s Delight,’ hip-hop went global – its impact has been massive; so too efforts to keep it real]( Eric Charry, Wesleyan University Hip-hop traveled far after being birthed by Black Americans in US cities. The journey hasn’t always been smooth. - [Anti-trans bills and political climates are taking a significant mental health toll on trans and nonbinary people – even during Pride]( - [Are you part robot? A linguistic anthropologist explains how humans are like ChatGPT – both recycle language]( - [Southern Baptist Convention votes to expel two churches with female pastors – a religion scholar explains how far back these battles go]( - [Supreme Court affirms Congress’s power over Indian affairs, upholds law protecting Native American children]( - [Juneteenth offers new ways to teach about slavery, Black perseverance and American history]( - [George Soros hands control over his family’s philanthropy to son Alex, after giving away billions and enduring years of antisemitic attacks and conspiracy theories]( - [A jury of ex-presidents? No, but Trump’s fate will be decided by 12 citizen peers, in a hallowed tradition of US democracy]( - [Forensic evidence suggests Paleo-Americans hunted mastodons, mammoths and other megafauna in eastern North America 13,000 years ago]( - [When homes flood, who retreats and to where? We mapped thousands of FEMA buyouts and found distance and race play a role]( - [How TV shows have grappled with a post-Dobbs America]( The Conversation Quiz 🧠- Here’s the first question of [this week’s edition:]( On June 14, the Federal Reserve announced that it had decided NOT to do what? - A. Raise the minimum wage - B. Raise interest rates - C. Nominate a new chairman - D. Make everyone rich [Test your knowledge]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [Instagram]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. 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