Draft:Caitlin McCarthy

{{Short description|Caitlin McCarthy: Screenwriter, Educator, and Activist}}

{{AFC submission|d|v|u=WistahHoney508|ns=118|decliner=Setergh|declinets=20250426094535|ts=20250122125301}}

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{{AFC submission|d|exists|Caitlin McCarthy|u=WistahHoney508|ns=118|decliner=Robert McClenon|declinets=20250115215442|small=yes|ts=20241216012027}}

{{AFC submission|d|bio|u=WistahHoney508|ns=118|decliner=Drmies|declinets=20241216004600|small=yes|ts=20241215200707}}

{{AFC submission|d|bio|u=WistahHoney508|ns=118|decliner=Jamiebuba|declinets=20241215013141|small=yes|ts=20241214180137}}

{{AFC comment|1=Please ensure all of your claims have inline citations. Setergh (talk) 09:45, 26 April 2025 (UTC)}}

{{AFC comment|1=User:Drmies - If these are two different people, then I do not see an issue about the article. The article establishes acting notability via the Filmography. If they are two different people, then the article should be left alone. Then my only complaint is that the two previous reviews should have noticed that the title already existed, and that disambiguation was in order, as well as a decline. Robert McClenon (talk) 22:15, 15 January 2025 (UTC)}}

{{AFC comment|1=I see some local coverage but I don't see how it adds up to notability--in part because the article is so full of irrelevant and promotional material that has little encyclopedic relevance. "McCarthy's expertise on DES has been featured in various media outlets..." is for LinkedIn, not for here, and the 8th grand-grandmother is--well all that material is excessive. On top of that the draft is full of primary links and inline URLs. Drmies (talk) 22:06, 15 January 2025 (UTC)}}

{{AFC comment|1=Robert McClenon, the article is on a different person. So no, no merging. The question is whether that article should be AfDed; whether it asserted notability is not relevant, as far as I understand notability. Drmies (talk) 22:02, 15 January 2025 (UTC)}}

{{AFC comment|1=

This draft has information that is not in the article and should be added to the article. The article has information that is not in this draft. Please compare and combine the draft and the article.

You may ask for advice about comparing and combining a draft and an article at the Teahouse. Robert McClenon (talk) 21:54, 15 January 2025 (UTC)}}

{{AFC comment|1=User:Jamiebuba, User:Drmies - Did you notice, when you declined this draft, that there is already an article on Caitlin McCarthy? So the question was never whether to accept this draft but whether to tag it for merging into the article?

The article establishes acting notability because it has a filmography. Robert McClenon (talk) 21:53, 15 January 2025 (UTC)}}

{{AFC comment|1=I see a lot of primary sources and a ton of inline URLs, but what I don't see is coverage from secondary sources, except for a few apparently local or regional reports. Drmies (talk) 00:46, 16 December 2024 (UTC)}}

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{{Infobox writer

| name = Caitlin McCarthy

| image = Caitlin McCarthy Headshot.jpg

| caption =

| occupation = {{Cslist|Screenwriter|Educator|Activist}}

| website = http://www.caitlinmccarthy.com

| birth_place = United States

| citizenship = American

| education = Worcester Academy, Regis College, Emerson College

}}

Caitlin McCarthy is an American screenwriter, educator, and activist renowned for her advocacy on behalf of survivors of the DES (diethylstilbestrol) drug disaster.{{Cite web |title=Diethylstilbestrol and its Multigenerational Effects |url=https://awis.org/resource/diethylstilbestrol-and-its-multigenerational-effects/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=AWIS |language=en-US}}

McCarthy is a writer specializing in feature screenplays, one-hour teleplays, and screenplay adaptations. Her work often addresses political and social themes with elements of humor, emotional depth, and action. She was selected as a 2025 Writing Fellow for the inaugural Sundance Institute Cultural Impact Residency{{Cite web |last=Minton |first=Matt |date=2025-03-24 |title=Sundance Announces 2025 Fellows for Inaugural Cultural Impact Residency (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/news/sundance-cultural-impact-residency-1236345418/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}.

She also originated Wonder Drug, a feature film about the DES drug disaster, as an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation script at the HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab. The film is currently in development with Lori Singer as director, McCarthy and Singer as co-writers, Stephen Nemeth/Rhino Films and McCarthy as producers, and Vanessa Hope as executive producer.{{Cite web |title=Sloan Science & Film |url=https://scienceandfilm.org/articles/3460/des-daughter-caitlin-mccarthy-on-wonder-drug |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=scienceandfilm.org}}

In 2010, McCarthy contacted and collaborated with the offices of U.S. Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown to advocate for an apology addressing the harm associated with DES, a drug linked to significant health issues. Her efforts played a key role in securing the FDA's landmark acknowledgment of DES as a "tragedy" in 2011, after four decades of avoiding such a designation.{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 4 - Poison in the Womb |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001jsq1#:~:text=Kerry%20Hudson%20explores%20the%20ripple,call%20the%20'silent%20thalidomide'. |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}} The FDA has not issued a formal apology for the harm caused by DES, and McCarthy continues to advocate for this.{{Cite web |last=Duckett |first=Richard |title='DES Daughter' Caitlin McCarthy gets McGovern's help in call for apology |url=https://www.worcestermag.com/story/lifestyle/health-fitness/2023/02/28/u-s-rep-james-mcgovern-calls-for-formal-government-apology-on-des/69895336007/ |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Worcester Magazine |language=en-US}}

In 2022, McCarthy provided testimony to the Scottish Parliament, sharing her personal experiences as a DES Daughter and advocating for an official apology in Scotland.{{Cite web |last=Scott |first=Marion |date=2022-03-13 |title=Inquiry urged as drug given to forced adoption mothers triggers legal action around the world |url=https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/forced-adoption-mothers-drug/ |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=The Sunday Post |language=en-US}} Her advocacy was instrumental in First Minister Nicola Sturgeon including DES in a historic 2023 apology to victims of forced adoption{{Cite web |title=Scotland's Leader Apologizes for Past Practice of Forced Adoptions |website=The New York Times |date=24 March 2023 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/24/world/europe/scotland-forced-adoption.html |last1=Gross |first1=Jenny }}, marking the first government apology addressing the DES tragedy.{{Cite web |last=Scott |first=Marion |date=2023-03-19 |title=Congressman: Scotland will lead world on forced adoption |url=https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/forced-adoption-3/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=The Sunday Post |language=en-US}}

McCarthy's expertise on DES has been featured in various media outlets, including BBC Radio 4, The Sunday Post (Scotland), AWIS (Association for Women in Science) Magazine{{Cite web |title=Diethylstilbestrol and its Multigenerational Effects |url=https://awis.org/resource/diethylstilbestrol-and-its-multigenerational-effects/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=AWIS |language=en-US}}, The Boston Globe{{Cite web |last=Comments |first=Share on Facebook Share on TwitterView |title=Eli Lilly settles suit with sisters who say pregnancy drug their mother took gave them breast cancer - The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/01/10/eli-lilly-settles-suit-with-sisters-who-say-pregnancy-drug-their-mother-took-gave-them-breast-cancer/9IeHSA4F0k2AUQG82C6XaO/story.html |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=BostonGlobe.com |language=en-US}}, and WCVB-TV's Chronicle newsmagazine{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IaQs-CMTjs |title=WCVB -TV Chronicle DES Episode Featuring Caitlin McCarthy |date=2023-10-22 |last=Caitlin McCarthy |access-date=2025-04-26 |via=YouTube}}.

Early life and education

Caitlin McCarthy grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her mother, Ann, was a Special Education teacher{{Cite web |title=Ann McCarthy Obituary (1944 - 2019) - Worcester, MA - Worcester Telegram & Gazette |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/telegram/name/ann-mccarthy-obituary?id=9086899 |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=Legacy.com}}, while her father, Albert, served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force, attached to the National Security Agency (NSA) in South Korea during the Vietnam War.{{Cite web |title=Albert McCarthy |url=https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/albert-mccarthy/ |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=Korean War Legacy |language=en-US}} McCarthy has one sibling, an older sister named Erin.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-31 |title=Meet Caitlin Mccarthy |url=https://boldjourney.com/meet-caitlin-mccarthy/ |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=Bold Journey Magazine |language=en-US}}

McCarthy graduated from Worcester Academy before earning her Bachelor of Arts in English, graduating Cum Laude from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts. While at Regis, she completed a collection of short stories and poetry for her Departmental Honors thesis.{{Cite web |title=Write Stuff {{!}} Regis Today {{!}} Fall 2017 - Regis College |url=https://alumni.regiscollege.edu/write-stuff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240729145827/https://alumni.regiscollege.edu/write-stuff |archive-date=2024-07-29 |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=alumni.regiscollege.edu |language=en |url-status=live }} McCarthy went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Emerson Today |date=2016-01-26 |title=Emerson Screenwriters Win Big in Austin |url=https://today.emerson.edu/2016/01/26/emerson-screenwriters-win-big-in-austin/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=Emerson Today |language=en-US}}

McCarthy is a member of both the Métis Nation of Canada and the Métis Federation of Canada. She holds a Certificate of Aboriginal Status card through the Ontario Métis Family Records Center (OMFRC). She traces her heritage through her mother's documented Huron-Wendat, Abenaki, and French Canadian ancestry. Her 8th great-grandmother, Marie Olivier Sylvestre Manitouabeouich (1624–1665), was the daughter of Roch Manitouabeouich, a Huron-Wendat, and Oueou Outchibahanoukoueou, an Abenaki. Marie Olivier Sylvestre Manitouabeouich's marriage to Martin Prevost marked the first officially recorded church wedding between a Native person and a French settler in Canada.{{cite web |date=December 2016 |title=Marie Olivier Sylvestre: A Special Name in History |url=https://omfrc.org/2016/12/marie-olivier-sylvestre-special-name-history/ |access-date=December 14, 2024 |website=Ontario Métis Family Records Center}}

McCarthy is also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) through her 7th great-grandfather, Mathurin Morrissett, who served as a sergeant in a militia from Cap-Santé, Quebec{{Cite journal |last=Nelson |first=Paul David |date=2006 |title=Quebec During the American Invasion, 1775-1776: The Journal of Francois Baby, Gabriel Taschereau, and Jenkin Williams (review) |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/29/article/196439/pdf |journal=The Journal of Military History |volume=70 |issue=2 |pages=500–501 |doi=10.1353/jmh.2006.0114 |issn=1543-7795}}. His service was particularly bold, as the Bishop of Quebec, Jean-Olivier Briand, had threatened excommunication and denial of a Christian burial to those who joined the rebel cause.{{cite web |title=The American Invasion of Canada, 1775 |url=https://www.brown.edu/Facilities/John_Carter_Brown_Library/exhibitions/champlain/pages/invasion.html#:~:text=In%201775%20the%20Americans%20invaded,despite%20being%20threatened%20with%20excommunication%2C |access-date=December 14, 2024 |website=John Carter Brown Library}}

Career

McCarthy has received a number of honors for her screenwriting, including selection as a 2025 Writing Fellow for the inaugural Sundance Institute Cultural Impact Residency{{Cite web |last=Fernandez |first=Sylvy |date=2025-03-20 |title=Announcing the 2025 Fellows for the Inaugural Sundance Institute Cultural Impact Residency on Sundance Collab - sundance.org |url=https://www.sundance.org/blogs/announcing-the-2025-fellows-for-the-inaugural-sundance-institute-cultural-impact-residency-on-sundance-collab/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |language=en-US}}, selection as an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation script at the competitive HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab{{Cite web |title=People - Sloan Science & Film |url=https://scienceandfilm.org/people/260/caitlin-mccarthy |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=scienceandfilm.org}}, recognition as an Academy Nicholl Fellowship Top 10 female writer and Top 50 script{{Cite web |title=The Academy Nicholl Fellowship (2019) Results - Coverfly |url=https://writers.coverfly.com/lists/nicholl?season=2019&page_specific_filters%5Bplacement%5D%5B%5D=Top%2050 |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=writers.coverfly.com |language=en}}, a "Featured Script"{{Cite web |title=Black List Featured Project Page |url=https://blcklst.com/login |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=blcklst.com}} on The Black List website, and inclusion on The Bitch List. She has also been featured twice on the cover of IMAGINE Magazine.{{Cite web |title=IMAGINE Magazine, Summer 2024 Issue |url=https://imaginenews.com/magazine/}}

Notable screenplays by McCarthy include Wonder Drug, a feature film about the DES (diethylstilbestrol) drug disaster, which is currently in development{{Cite web |last=Duckett |first=Richard |title=Worcester teacher and screenplay writer Caitlin McCarthy's 'Wonder Drug' closer to filming |url=https://www.worcestermag.com/story/entertainment/movies/2023/12/27/caitlin-mccarthys-wonder-drug-closer-to-filming-in-worcester/71976803007/ |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=Worcester Magazine |language=en-US}} with Lori Singer directing as well as co-writing alongside McCarthy. The film is produced by Stephen Nemeth of Rhino Films and McCarthy, with Vanessa Hope serving as Executive Producer. McCarthy is a DES Daughter.{{Cite web |title=No one comes out of this "Wonder Drug" unscathed – Interview with screenwriter Caitlin McCarthy |url=https://www.des-is-it.org/en/news/post/no-one-comes-out-of-this-wonder-drug-unscathed-interview-with-screenwriter-caitlin-mccarthy |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=DES is it |language=en}}

Outside of screenwriting, McCarthy is a veteran English Language Arts instructor{{Cite web |date=2023-09-07 |title=Caitlin McCarthy Is Worcester Teacher By Day, Screenwriter By Night |url=https://patch.com/massachusetts/worcester/caitlin-mccarthy-worcester-teacher-day-screenwriter-night |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=Worcester, MA Patch |language=en}} at Worcester Technical High School in Worcester, Massachusetts, a public high school that serves a diverse student population, including those from low-income backgrounds.{{Cite web |title=Worcester Technical High School |url=https://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/awardwinners/winning/13ma002pu_worcester_technical_high_school.html/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250210132740/https://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/awardwinners/winning/13ma002pu_worcester_technical_high_school.html |archive-date=2025-02-10 |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=National Blue Ribbon Schools |language=en-US |url-status=live }}

Activism

Caitlin McCarthy is a prominent advocate for survivors of the DES drug disaster. She is a DES Daughter.{{Cite web |last=MedShadow |date=2023-02-24 |title=Ask the FDA to Restore DES Research Funding by Signing the Petition |url=https://medshadow.org/ask-the-fda-to-restore-des-research-funding-by-signing-the-petition-1/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=MedShadow Foundation {{!}} Independent Health & Wellness Journalism |language=en-US}}

McCarthy's commitment to raising awareness about the DES tragedy earned her two nominations for the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2011 and 2012, recognizing her significant contributions to the cause.{{cite web |title=Caitlin McCarthy |url=https://fortyover40.com/2015-honorees/caitlin-mccarthy/ |access-date=December 14, 2024 |website=Forty Over 40}} Additionally, she received the MTA Human and Civil Rights Award{{Cite web |last=STAFF |first=Richard Duckett TELEGRAM & GAZETTE |title=McCarthy wins MTA award |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/south-west/2014/06/19/mccarthy-wins-mta-award/36990975007/ |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=The Worcester Telegram & Gazette |language=en-US}} from the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the "Service to Community" Alumni Award from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, in recognition of her DES activism.{{Cite web |title=Write Stuff {{!}} Regis Today {{!}} Fall 2017 - Regis College |url=https://alumni.regiscollege.edu/write-stuff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214173315/https://alumni.regiscollege.edu/write-stuff |archive-date=2024-12-14 |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=alumni.regiscollege.edu |language=en-us |url-status=live }}

McCarthy initiated the collaboration with the offices of U.S. Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown, leading to a landmark acknowledgment from the FDA in 2011 that recognized DES as a "tragedy," breaking 40 years of silence.{{Cite web |title=FDA Outlines Initiatives Inspired By DES 'Tragedy' - Law360 Healthcare Authority |url=https://www.law360.com/healthcare-authority/articles/227962 |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=www.law360.com |language=en}}File:Caitlin McCarthy outside Scottish Parliament.jpgIn 2022, McCarthy testified before members of the Scottish Parliament about her experiences as an American DES Daughter and advocated for a formal DES apology in Scotland. Her efforts contributed to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon including DES in her historic 2023 apology to victims of forced adoption{{Cite web |last=Scott |first=Marion |date=2023-03-26 |title='Three words to change the world': Nicola Sturgeon pays personal tribute to campaigner after forced adoption apology |url=https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/three-words-to-change-the-world/ |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=The Sunday Post |language=en-US}}, marking the only government-issued apology to date for the DES tragedy.

On November 11, 2024, McCarthy met with members of the Scottish Parliament{{Cite web |last=Duckett |first=Richard |title=Worcester 'DES daughter' Caitlin McCarthy to speak at Scottish Parliament on awareness |url=https://www.worcestermag.com/story/entertainment/movies/2024/11/06/worcester-des-daughter-caitlin-mccarthy-to-speak-at-scots-parliament/75948497007/?utm_source=brevo&utm_campaign=Worcester%20Mag%20coverage%20of%20Scottish%20Parliament%20meeting&utm_medium=email |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Worcester Magazine |language=en-US}} in Edinburgh to advocate for enhanced medical research and a public awareness campaign to educate women and their children about the potential health risks associated with DES. The meeting was part of Scotland's ongoing efforts to explore ways to provide care for DES victims{{Cite web |last=Scott |first=Marion |date=2024-11-24 |title=Stilbestrol: Top medic accused of not listening to cancer campaigners |url=https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/stilbestrol/ |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=The Sunday Post |language=en-US}}

Awards, nominations, honors

= Screenwriting labs =

HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab, where Wonder Drug was selected as an Alfred P. Foundation script{{Cite web |title=Projects - Sloan Science & Film |url=https://scienceandfilm.org/projects/230/wonder-drug |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=scienceandfilm.org}} and featured in a live staged reading of select scenes{{Cite web |title=People - Sloan Science & Film |url=https://scienceandfilm.org/people/260/caitlin-mccarthy |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=scienceandfilm.org}} starring Steve Guttenberg at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

= Published works =

Contributed essays to anthologies such as Idol Talk{{Cite web |title=Idol Talk - McFarland |url=https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/idol-talk/?srsltid=AfmBOopTYo4Qq-Ymou4wPbmzN4gCecc_68PnT8CtaFfCke_vJt2uubzS |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=mcfarlandbooks.com |language=en-US}} (McFarland & Company, 2018) and Soap Opera Confidential{{Cite web |title=Soap Opera Confidential - McFarland |url=https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/soap-opera-confidential/?srsltid=AfmBOooQ3C6PhZ_KpH4rPzb4nWfk29UHTU3nvM_m_L_XAe4cKyEvm_mI |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=mcfarlandbooks.com |language=en-US}}(McFarland & Company, 2017).

= Fellowships and presentations =

Received an Artist Fellowship in Dramatic Writing{{Cite web |title=Check out Caitlin McCarthy's work on @masscultural's gallery! |url=https://massculturalcouncil.org/gallery/20213412/ |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=Mass Cultural Council}} from the Mass Cultural Council.
Featured panelist on Final Draft's live webinar Breaking In: The Writers Journey{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmwj5GG_wFc |title=Breaking In: The Writers Journey |date=2020-09-22 |last=Final Draft |access-date=2024-12-14 |via=YouTube}}(moderated by Sadé Sellers).