It is the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Prof. Sims who credits Joseph Mitchell, John McNulty and other short piece writers at Harold Ross’ designedly succoring The New Yorker magazine with evolving an early 20th-century reformer news writer's practice into a separate literary genre.
[2] The later genre of literary journalism, as stated by Sim's to have been evolved by McNulty and other short piece writers at the New Yorker magazine, is no longer conflicted between unbiased fact reporting and the enhanced portrayal of social conditions for some form of advocacy[3] but, concentrates upon such latter portrayal, while using actual events as a creative substrate.
[5] After recouping from his injury for more than a year, John attended the Columbia School of Journalism while working for the Associated Press.
McNulty’s 1941 short story "Atheist Hit By A Truck" catapulted him into the national spotlight and cemented his reputation and further career path as an author rather than a journalist.
[7] John's wife, Faith McNulty, was an author and children's book writer known for penning The Burning Bed, which was eventually turned into a 1984 film featuring Farrah Fawcett.
James Thurber, McNulty's close friend, wrote that "Nothing, however, commonplace, that he touched remained commonplace but, was magnified and enlivened by his intense and endless fascination with the stranger in the street, the drinker in the bar, and the bartender behind it, the horseplayer, the cab driver, the guy at the ballgame, the fellow across the room, the patient in the next hospital bed.