[4] Cunningham was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in La Cañada Flintridge, California.

[9] Cunningham has taught at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and in the creative writing M.F.A.

The Hours established Cunningham as a major force in the American writing sphere, and his 2010 novel, By Nightfall, was also well received by U.S.

He was a producer for the 2007 film Evening, starring Glenn Close, Toni Collette, and Meryl Streep.

[12] In April 2018, it was announced that Cunningham would serve as consulting producer for a revival of the Tales of the City miniseries, which is based on Armistead Maupin's book series of the same name.