Q & A
Lauren Belfer
By Jana Eisenberg

Photo by Sigrid Estrada.
Buffalo native Lauren Belfer’s epic follow-up to City of Light (1999) is called A Fierce Radiance and tackles the invention of penicillin. Despite the subject, it’s hardly a dry read: Belfer weaves in plenty of human emotion, a romance, and even some intrigue—the events in the book play out against the backdrop of WWII. From June 24 to 29, Belfer will be in Buffalo for a series of readings and book-signings. She spoke with Spree by phone from her New York City home.

In this novel, you include a lot of scientific information and still hold to your intention to make it read first and foremost as a story. How?
I reminded myself that the inspiration was my own family. On her bureau, my aunt kept a portrait of her brother, who died from an infection when he was eleven. His death really changed her and her family’s life.

I was surprised to learn how many friends also had a family member who died from infection. That reinforced my desire to portray the change in our perception when antibiotics became the “miracle drug.”

Your main female character in Radiance is Life magazine photojournalist Claire Shipley. As an author delving into new territory, you seem sort of like her. You describe her as fearless in unknown situations, possessed of an ability to become intimate with the “what.” Are there are similarities between you and her?
Creating her character was a kind of wish fulfillment; when I was younger, I dreamed of becoming a photojournalist! In terms of similarities, yes, Claire’s reporting element is somewhat like being a novelist. But the difference is that, in order to do my work, I have to stay at home alone. She has to be out in the world; she is probably more confident and forthright than I will ever be.

As a writer, do you work like a photographer in any way?
I try hard to capture a moment in time, the way a photojournalist might. I also visualize my scenes like a movie; I like the tactile quality of fiction. The legendary Austin Fox, who was a Spree writer and before that taught at Nichols School, always said to write “from the five senses.” I want to make the reader aware of the scene’s life, the grit, the taste and smells on the air; I’m trying to be as realistic as possible.

You gained a lot of scary information about the efficacy of antibiotics going forward.
The problem is very complex. People want antibiotics, and doctors feel pressure to give them. But every time they are used, they become less effective.

Scientists and drug companies are trying hard to develop ways to fight antibiotic resistance and to attack infectious disease. But there is not much progress—the more I researched, the more compelling these issues became. I tried to harness this passionate feeling and tell the story of what happened in the 1940s when the U.S. was developing penicillin as a weapon.

Do you look on Buffalo differently since you’ve lived away for thirty-five years?
I think of it more fondly now. With each passing year, I gain greater appreciation of the great beauty and history. Like many people I meet from Buffalo, we all still consider ourselves Buffalonians. It’s in part because traditionally the city was so maligned. People offhandedly say nasty things, and we have to talk about the wonderful things. That causes us to be very aware of the extraordinary setting and resources—the lake, the river, the neighborhoods.

Growing up in middle of a recession, there weren’t jobs—many left and never came back. We also weren’t taught as much about the history of the city; now I have a greater awareness of the city’s past.

It feels so good to walk along Elmwood, go to the [Bidwell] Farmer’s Market, stop at Aroma for coffee, and buy a book at Talking Leaves. Now I get a sense that Buffalo is fun.

Lauren Belfer appearances:
Thursday, June 24 7 p.m.
Burchfield Penney Art Center
1300 Elmwood Ave.
www.burchfieldpenney.org

Saturday, June 26 2 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
1565 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst

Sunday, June 27
Kenan Center
433 Locust St., Lockport
www.kenancenter.org

Tuesday, June 29 7 p.m.
Borders
2015 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga

Jana Eisenberg is Spree’s style editor and writes frequently on other topics.


SUBSCRIBE NOW

Back to the Table of Contents

Back to Top