The Secret Muse; Augusta Britt's Revealing Tale with Cormac McCarthy

2024-11-21

Augusta Britt, a woman who claims to have been the secret muse of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy, has recently revealed the details of their controversial relationship, which began when she was just 16 years old and he was 42. In an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair, Britt recounted their meeting at a motel pool in Tucson, Arizona, in 1976, where they quickly bonded over shared experiences of hardship and trauma.

Britt, now 64, was in and out of foster care during her childhood and approached McCarthy with a copy of his debut novel, The Orchard Keeper, asking him to sign it. Dressed in a holster with a Colt revolver—obtained from her foster home—she initially caught McCarthy’s attention, leading to an intense relationship that spanned nearly five decades.

After a violent incident that sent Britt to the hospital, McCarthy invited her to travel to Mexico with him in 1977. Their journey would form the basis for his later works, including Blood Meridian. The nature of their relationship became sexual when she was 17, but Britt expressed complex feelings about how McCarthy later depicted their experiences in his novels, including feelings of violation and a sense of being objectified.

Despite their separation in the early 1980s—when Britt returned to Tucson after learning that McCarthy was still married and had a son near her age—they maintained a deep, albeit complicated, bond. McCarthy proposed marriage to Britt twice, but both times he ultimately backed out. Throughout their years apart, they continued to keep in touch, with McCarthy visiting her regularly until his death in 2023.

Britt’s decision to publicly share her narrative arises in anticipation of the upcoming release of McCarthy’s archives at Texas State University, which may include their correspondence. She expressed fears about revealing her story, feeling a sense of disloyalty toward McCarthy, but acknowledged that it was time to step into the light after years of silence.

The implications of their relationship have sparked conversations about power dynamics in literature, especially considering McCarthy’s status as a celebrated author juxtaposed against Britt’s traumatic upbringing. Scholars and readers are now reevaluating the influences in McCarthy’s oeuvre, with Britt claiming that her life experiences inspired at least ten of his novels, particularly evident in No Country for Old Men and All the Pretty Horses.

Cormac McCarthy’s Secret Muse Breaks Her Silence After Half a Century: “I Loved Him. He Was My Safety.”

When he was 42, Cormac McCarthy fell in love with a 16-year-old girl he met by a motel pool. Augusta Britt would go on to become one of the most signi

www.vanityfair.com

Cormac McCarthy had 16-year-old ‘muse’ when he was 42, Vanity Fair reports

Augusta Britt says relationship with then-married author, who died in 2023, began after they met at motel pool

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Cormac McCarthy had relationship with 16-year-old ‘muse’ in his 40s

Augusta Britt, who says she met the then-married author at a motel pool, is believed to have inspired several novels

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Author Cormac McCarthy had 16-year-old girlfriend when he was 42

The novelist, best known for No Country for Old Men, met Augusta Britt in Arizona in 1976, setting of a relationship spanning 47 years

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I Dated Legendary Author When He Was 42 and I Was 16

The now 64-year-old said she was “in and out of foster care” when she met the famed writer at a motel pool.

www.thedailybeast.com

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