McInerney, Jay (John Barrett McInerney, Jr.), 1955–, American writer, b. Hartford, Conn. After graduating from Williams College (1976), he studied creative writing with Raymond Carver at Syracuse Univ. A psychological novelist who delves into the personalities of his characters, he has writtne novels and short stories. His breakout novel, Bright Lights, Big City (1984; screenplay, 1988), focused on twenty-year-olds and marriage breakup in hedonistic New York City; other early novels include Ransom (1985) and Story of My Life (1988). The trilogy Brightness Falls (1992), The Good Life (2006), and Bright, Precious Days (2016) follows the lives of a book editor and his wife as they attempt to find their place in the world of New York City publishing amid the 1987 stock market crash, 9/11, and the 2008 financial debacle. Many of his short stories are included in How It Ended (2009). McInerney also is also a noted wine columnist.
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