Corey made his literary debut with the novel The Quiet Harbor (2005), a moving portrait of a family unraveling along the Maine coast. He gained wider recognition with Winter's Alphabet (2009), which won a regional Book Award and established him as a distinctive voice in literary fiction. His third novel, The Cartographer's Son (2013), traced a young man's journey across postwar Europe in search of his father's past. His short story collection Borrowed Light (2016) showcased his mastery of compressed narrative form, while his most recent novel, A Field of Small Hours (2021), was shortlisted for a national fiction prize.
A recipient of several writing fellowships, Corey has taught creative writing at various universities and contributes essays to literary journals. He lives in Massachusetts, where he continues to write fiction noted for its quiet intensity and humane insight.