Michelle Hart spoke to Hofstra students about her novel and queer loneliness.//Photo courtesy of University Relations.
There is nothing as comforting as a relatable book, and Michelle Hart creates exactly that in her debut novel, “We Do What We Do in the Dark.” This is a story of grief, heartbreak and coming of age while simultaneously providing a voice for LGBTQ+ representation.
Her story is a subtle commentary on the #MeToo movement. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Publishers Weekly and the Los Angeles Times. The Hofstra English department and Cultural Center welcomed back the 2011 alum for the 19th annual “Great Writers, Great Readings” series. This event was a part of the “Celebrating Our Own” alumni series.
The main protagonist, Mallory, is a college freshman that falls in love (or obsession) with a much older female professor at her school. The two begin an affair which leads Mallory on a confusing path where she must navigate between the loss of her mother and the effects of the affair.
However, this is nowhere near a happy-ending rom-com that justifies grooming, which is often exploited in media. Instead, “We Do What We Do in the Dark” is a queer story that encompasses the reality and trauma of an imbalanced power dynamic in a relationship.
“I was pleasantly surprised to hear how her book was more about the repercussions of the messed-up relationship [that] the first few pages set up, rather than the actual romance of the situation,” said Stephen Sturges, a junior writing for the screen major and creative writing minor.
Aspects of Mallory’s story were based on Hart’s real life. Both Hart and Mallory battled the grief of losing their mothers to cancer.
At the speaker event, Hart read a snippet of the first chapter and described Mallory’s college, which was suspiciously similar to Hofstra regarding the large commuter population and bars within walking distance in town.
“As somebody who is a Hofstra alumni, her achievements feel very achievable as she was someone who was in our position several years ago,” Sturges said.
Arianna Wentworth, a theater arts major with a creative writing minor, was inspired by Hart’s success. “I loved seeing her support network of writing professors and learning that her book is loosely set at Hofstra. I’m glad to learn about Michelle’s 10-year process in her book. It inspired me to take my time with my writing and not beat myself up for struggling to uphold a rigorous writing schedule,” Wentworth said.
Hart started writing her debut over 10 years ago as a Hofstra student for her undergrad. She revealed that the song “Mr. Peterson” by Perfume Genius inspired her novel. Hart explained the dichotomy between the song and her novel – a relationship with someone older and its negative effects.
“I started thinking of my own life and what I had not seen in books and movies. One of the first things I thought of is queer loneliness,” Hart said.
Queer loneliness is not about being in the closet or not being in the presence of queer people but specifically about not being aware of a larger queer community. She explains that loneliness can create an identity.
“What does queerness mean for the individual versus what does it mean for the collective?” Hart said.
Attendees had their copies of “We Do What We Do in the Dark” signed by Michelle Hart. // Photo courtesy of University Relations.
“My expectations were it to be someone just reading a part of her book and answering questions at the end,” says Erika Korbusieski, a senior television production major and creative writing minor. “I didn’t expect her to share so many personal stories and be very engaging with the audience. She was really funny and entertaining to watch.”
Hart worked as an assistant book editor of “O,” the Oprah magazine, which aided the editing process of her book. At Hofstra, she took several journalism courses and wrote for The Hofstra Chronicle.
“Journalists have to be curious about what they’re writing about … that curiosity to learn more [and] represent the truth better through knowledge is also an impulse that fiction writers could benefit from,” Hart said. “Going through journalism classes and learning how to research, ask questions, to get good answers is so important because that all ends up on the page.”
Her biggest advice to aspiring writers at Hofstra is to find what resonates with them and find out why.
“Reread things to learn what you like and to figure out why you like it,” Hart said. “That’s the ultimate skill that a writer can develop. The really important skill for an aspiring writer is to reverse engineer the work that they enjoy.”
“It is empowering and exciting to see someone who started in the same place I did find success,” Wentworth said. “I am now more inspired than ever to pursue my own career in writing and use my resources at Hofstra the same way Michelle did.”
“Experience just living life. Be open to explore. Believe in your story,” Hart said.
