ðə sˈʌbdʒɛkt ʌv pˈɑːzᵻtˌɪv ɹᵻvjˈuːz ænd ˈʌðɚ mˈiːdiːə kˈʌvɚɹɪdʒ, mə kˈɔːɹmæk wʌz fɹˈiːkwəntli dᵻskɹˈaɪbd æt ðə bɪɡˈɪnɪŋ ʌv hɪz kɚɹˈɪɹ æz bˌiːɪŋ pˈɑːɹt əvə nˈuː dʒˌɛnɚɹˈeɪʃən ʌv kɐnˈeɪdiən ɹˈaɪɾɚz, mˈoʊst nˈoʊɾəbli ɪn ɐ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɪks fˈiːtʃɚɹ ɐbˈaʊt hˌɪm, ˈɛvən sˈɑːlɑːmən, ɹˈʌsəl smˈɪθ ænd ˈændɹuː pˈaɪpɚɹ ɪnðə ɡlˈoʊb ænd mˈeɪl.
The subject of positive reviews and other media coverage, McCormack was frequently described at the beginning of his career as being part of a new generation of Canadian writers, most notably in a 1996 feature about him, Evan Solomon, Russell Smith and Andrew Pyper in The Globe and Mail.