Song Exploder

Book Exploder: Michael Cunningham - The Hours

Aug 31, 2022
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ANECDOTE

How A High-School Crush Created A Reader

  • Michael Cunningham became a reader after trying to impress a girl by checking out Mrs Dalloway from his high school library.
  • He couldn't fully understand it at 15 but recognized the sentences' beauty and began taking books seriously.
ANECDOTE

Reading Then Writing From Memory

  • Cunningham described reading extensively about Virginia Woolf, then closing the books to write from memory and sense.
  • He wanted to honor Woolf's presence without imitating her exact diction.
ADVICE

Use Trusted Readers To Temper Lyricism

  • Share drafts with trusted readers and listen to honest criticism to curb excessive lyricism.
  • Be willing to cut showy metaphors that disrespect real subjects, even if they feel clever.
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