B.W. Jackson is the author of the new novel The Rise of Lazarus. He lives in the New York City area.
Q: What inspired you to write The Rise of Lazarus, and how did you create your character Aaron?
A: An idea occurred to me about a decade ago. If Lazarus was raised from the dead, isn’t he still alive? What would a man who had been alive for two thousand years be like? What would he be doing with his time? I found the concept haunting, and I wanted to impart that to readers.
Ultimately, I was convinced that this character Lazarus would have committed his life to meaningful work of some sort. Out of that idea, the character Aaron was born, as a sort of counterbalance, as someone who could learn from Lazarus.
From those underpinnings, I allowed the narrative to develop organically. But it was important to me to sketch Aaron as a young male who comes late to academic interest, who suddenly discovers the excitement of history and knowledge.
The reader is seeing the story through Aaron's eyes, and so I wanted the reader to experience that same wonder and maybe even exhilaration.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: I made changes along the way. I always start with a general trajectory, and often with some fixed ideas, but I prefer to let the story find its own path.
For me, it’s crucial not to choke creativity with rigid outlining. I struggle to maintain my appetite for writing if the story is already complete in my mind. And if I’m not writing with enthusiasm, the narrative tends to lose its luster.
In this case, Lazarus began as a short story. I reworked it over and over, and tried out various endings. Finally, I realized that the reason I couldn’t find a satisfying ending was that the story wasn’t ready to end. I had more to tell. I wrote like a maniac after that because I couldn’t wait to see where it would go.
Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: I experimented with various titles in the short story phase, especially as I worked on different endings, such as “The Beheading of Lazarus” and “The Flight of Lazarus.” That might give you some sense of how desperate I was getting.
As soon as I began extending the short story into a novel, I sensed that the story was the beginning of something, that a whole world was opening up. This character Lazarus—and this story of Lazarus—was on the rise.
Of course, The Rise of Lazarus also plays off the common title of the Bible story, “the raising of Lazarus,” which has been depicted in so many famous works of art, from Giotto to Caravaggio to Rembrandt, and many more.
I’ve looked at those paintings now and then for inspiration. The one I like best for my story is one attributed to Tintoretto, which shows Lazarus pushing off the earth with a flexed leg.
In short, “rise” is “raising” with a twist.
Q: What do you hope people take away from the book?
A: I was fortunate to grow up in a household that got excited over history and ideas, where knowledge was handed down. My father was a historian and then became a pastor, and both my parents had a great appreciation for history and culture.
In that sense, the book is personal to me, and I hope people take away the thrill of history and learning. And maybe—specifically for younger readers—it will whet some appetites for real history.
Along the same lines, I hope people enjoy the elements of family and intergenerational storytelling. I think we’re at an unusual place as a society where we have lost some of that richness. For various reasons, we seem to be more isolated and more segregated by age than previous generations.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: At the moment, I’m devoting my time to the next two books in the Lazarus series. I’m revising The Brotherhood of Barnabas, which should be out within a year or so, and completing the first draft of The Cave of Cleopas.
As I indicated earlier, I have some big ideas about where the series is going, but I’m also letting the story find its own way, and that’s the fun part.
When I’m not occupied by the Lazarus series, I’m writing short stories or jotting down notes for other manuscripts. I have a handful of novels in various stages of revision. I’m very content in that natural balance of writing and revising, shifting back and forth between the frenzy of the first draft and the more methodical process of editing.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: One thing I’ve been happy to hear in early feedback is that the book is great for almost any age—that you could do a book club within a family. A grandparent, a parent and a teenage child could all read this together. That’s really gratifying, especially given that the novel unfolds through intergenerational relationships and storytelling.
It’s also satisfying because I’m from a big family. I’m the 11th of 12 children. I think if you come from a big family, you love hearing about other people from big families. It’s a kind of club, albeit one with a shrinking membership.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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