Kevin McCarthy has written more than 40 books, mostly about the history and culture of Florida, but also about Saudi Arabia, Ireland, and English grammar. He has a bachelor's degree from LaSalle College in Philadelphia and two degrees from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: an M.A. in English and a Ph.D. in Linguistics. He taught in Turkey in the Peace Corps for two years, in Lebanon for one year, in Saudi Arabia for two years, and at the University of Florida for 33 years. He has also given workshops on writing in Vietnam.