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“The Hours” & “Day” — A Video Chat with Pulitzer Prize Recipient Michael Cunningham

“The Hours” & “Day” — A Video Chat with Pulitzer Prize Recipient Michael Cunningham

Introduction to Michael Cunningham. 1:26 min. Interview: Raymond Elman. Camera:  Lee Skye. Post-Production: Beverly Muzii. Music:  Beverly Muzii.  Recorded at the Miami Book Fair, 11/18/2023.

 

 

MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM is an award-winning American author and screenwriter with a career spanning over four decades. He has written eight novels, two screenplays, and published a collection of short stories and non-fiction pieces. Cunningham is most well known for his 1998 novel, “The Hours,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was later adapted into a movie starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman.

Inspired by the work of English writer, Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), Cunningham’s novels often take an introspective approach, examining in-depth themes of love, loss, and human psychology. 

His most recent novel, “Day,” was released in November 2023 and chronicles the steady unraveling of a family’s dynamic during the years preceding, during, and following the Covid pandemic.

Cunningham is a Professor in the Practice of Creative Writing at Yale University and lives in New York City. He sat down for a conversation with ArtSpeak during the Miami Book Fair to discuss his career and novels.

The videos below are organized by Success Factor and run between 30 seconds and 4 minutes. Click on any video. You must be connected to the Internet to view the videos.

 

 

SELF-CONFIDENCE:  1:46 min.  

Where did you grow up and what was your first awareness of art of any discipline?

 

PERSEVERANCE FURTHERS:  2:41 min.  

When did you realize that you had a talent for writing?

 

COLLABORATION:   3:45 min.

Your book “The Hours” was made into a magnificent movie starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman. How much input did you have, and what is your reaction to the final product?

 

OPEN TO CHANGE, FLEXIBILITY:  0:32 min.

What was your reaction to watching three great actresses play the characters you created?

 

OVERCOMES CHALLENGES TO SUCCEED:  3:19 min.

What was your motivation for writing “Day” and how did the pandemic shape the way you thought about the characters?

 

UNDERSTANDS THE BUSINESS OF ART:  1:25 min.

Which of your other books have movie potential?

 

SEIZES OPPORTUNITIES:  1:36 min.

When did you first visit Provincetown, Massachusetts,  and how did Provincetown impact you?