A moving and provocative exploration of male friendship and loneliness by New York Times bestselling author, filmmaker, and actor Andrew McCarthy as he crisscrosses country in an effort to reconnect with friends from the past. “You don’t really have any friends, do you, Dad?” A seemingly innocuous, if direct, question from Andrew McCarthy’s son left him reeling. McCarthy did have friends, but like so many other men, the necessities of modern adult life had forced his friendships to the background. At one point his friends had been instrumental in broadening his horizons, bolstering his courage, providing safe harbor. Now, McCarthy found himself questioning what had happened to his friendships, whether he needed them, what he valued, and what he had to offer. A simple question had become a moment that demanded a reckoning. Who Needs Friends charts McCarthy’s journey for nearly ten thousand miles, following him on often-unexpected travels through Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, the Chihuahuan Desert, and the Rocky Mountains with one driving to see his friends. Along the way, he talks to countless men about their male friendships, from cowboys and blues musicians to preachers and rootless teens. What began as a simple desire to catch up with a few friends turned into a deep exploration of the challenges and rewards that men experience in forming bonds with each other. In McCarthy’s own words, “It turns out that guys have a difficult time with friendship.” But the good news is, that’s not the way it needs to be.
Author
Andrew McCarthy is a director, an award winning travel writer, and—of course—an actor. He made his professional début at 19 in Class, and has appeared in dozens of films, including such iconic movies as Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, Less Then Zero, and cult favorites Weekend At Bernie’s and Mannequin. He has starred on Broadway and on television, most recently appearing in The Family, on ABC. McCarthy is also a highly regarded television director; having helmed Orange is the New Black, The Blacklist, Grace and Frankie, and many others. Simultaneously, McCarthy is an award winning travel writer. He is an editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler, and has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Travel+Leisure, AFAR, Men’s Journal, Bon Appetit, and many others. He has received six Lowell Thomas awards, and been named Travel Journalist of the Year by The Society of American Travel Writers. His travel memoir, THE LONGEST WAY HOME, became a New York Times Best Seller, and the Financial Times of London named it one of the Best Books of the year. He served as guest editor for the prestigious Best American Travel series in 2015. His debut novel, JUST FLY AWAY, will be published by Algonquin in the spring of 2017. McCarthy lives in New York City.
