An Interview with Stacia Brown
What inspired you to write Accidents of Providence?
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What is it like writing a novel while working full-time?
I began writing the book in 2006 just after finishing
How does theology fit into the book? Are there explicit theological themes in the narrative?
the final draft of my dissertation. I wanted to do
Accidents is set in Puritan London, so by the nature
can remember—I’ve always had some kind of major
something totally different, outside of my area of
of the time period, many of the characters in the
project that I’m working on around and in between
expertise. At the same time, I had all this research
story hold fast to various faith commitments. They
all the other daily requirements. I like to complain
piled up from my dissertation. I wanted to explore
also don’t quite know how to live out those commit-
about it, but secretly I probably like it, or I wouldn’t
the moral consequences of inaction as well as action.
ments in day-to-day life. I’m much less interested in
have been doing it for all these years.
The consequences of waiting too long—to do
abstract theological themes than in the messy and
something, to become something, to say something
idiosyncratic ways we try to live up to our internal-
What is your next novel about?
—can be disastrous. But we all have been in such
ized expectations of those themes. What is my duty,
It’s the story of an earnest, young missionary in
It’s a challenge. But I’ve been like this for as long as I
situations. You wait too long
my moral obligation, to my
1900s San Francisco who accidentally marries the
for that perfect person, that
spouse, for example, or to the
wrong sister. I lifted the idea from the biblical
ideal mate. You wait too long
one I love? What do I owe my
story of Jacob, who wants to marry Rachel, but gets
to put an offer on the house.
child? What do I owe another
tricked into bedding down with Leah on his wedding
You wait too long to pursue a
person’s child? How about
night. That story always frustrated me: How could
dream and suddenly you can’t
my friend? Who counts as my
anyone be so ridiculous, so near-sighted, as to wind
travel anymore, you can’t af-
friend? What happens when
up in bed with the wrong person? So I decided to run
ford to go back to school. You
our friends fail us?
with it. It’s not a bad idea, I’ve discovered, to write
wait too long to apologize and
about something that bothers you.
mattered is irreparably dam-
Who are some of your favorite authors?
aged. I was intrigued by how
My favorite living writer is
lives are changed by waiting, by
probably Annie Dillard. My
Is there anything you think Connection readers would want to know about you and your book?
hesitation, by those moments
all-time favorite novelist is
when we think we should do
My experiences at Candler and at Emory’s Graduate
probably Ernest Hemingway.
something but we don’t.
Division of Religion gave me the confidence and the
For historical fiction, I greatly
training I needed to write this book. My teachers
admire Penelope Fitzgerald’s
and mentors didn’t tell me how to become a fiction
book about the Romantics,
writer. They had no idea that was in the works. But
The Blue Flower. I read widely
they taught me something that matters more: They
and across genres. If it’s got
taught me to read carefully and to listen intently,
a jacket cover on it and pages
to attend to the world around me. For an aspiring
inside, I’ll probably read it.
novelist, there is no greater gift. n
suddenly a relationship that
How did your time at Candler and Emory influence this book? I learned to become a more
Rachel Lockyer, an unmarried glove maker in seventeenth century London, is being investigated for the murder of her illegitimate newborn.
careful and generous reader while I was at Candler—and becoming a stronger reader helped me become a stronger writer. I also learned to think theologically and historically, and
Shawn Scott is director of annual giving at
those interests played a big role in shaping this novel.
Candler. He’s currently reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.