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Opening Scene Sparks The Novel
- James McBride describes the book's opening: Deacon Cuffie-Lampkin shoots a young dealer in the projects.
- He says the incident sets off widening ripples through the neighborhood like a rock in a pond.
First Lines Carry Heavy Weight
- McBride treats the first sentence as high-stakes because it must earn a reader's purchase.
- He rewrote his opening paragraph around fifty times to get it right.
Humor As A Survival Tool
- McBride believes communities use humor to survive powerlessness and hardship.
- He blends comedy and tragedy deliberately because laughter is a coping mechanism.