Sam Stea is the author of the new novel The Edge of Elsewhere. He is a physician in Pennsylvania.
Q:
How did you come up with the idea for The Edge of Elsewhere?
A:
As a father and physician, the science of climate change for me is as real as
the medicine I practice. Its dire implications are with me every waking hour of
each day and night, in every conversation, and in every thought about my own
and my family’s future.
I
felt powerless in my ability to make an impact, until the very moment I was
struck with the idea of a story that asks and answers a very simple question: What
would our children’s children think of us, living in the here and now, and the choices
we are making and the values we espouse.
The
Edge of Elsewhere offers this perspective on climate change, one hardly considered,
one looking backward in time where we are the fallen generation. The story and the
book is my own solution, my voice and my hope that I might make a change for
the better.
A:
Writing the story has been an important outlet for me. Nephrology or kidney
medicine is often fraught with despair. Hopelessness is the worst thing I
encounter with patients. In some way, the story can be an allegory for someone
dealing with kidney disease and dialysis, holding onto the hope of an eventual
kidney transplant.
It
was challenging to write this, given the need for time and focus. Believe it or
not, insomnia helps. I had good people helping me all the way through.
Q:
What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A:
I want readers to be able to ask themselves the question: What is truly lasting
and precious in the time given to us?
Q:
You write, "Health care providers need to lead us out of this climate
mess." What do you see as the role of health care workers in the climate
crisis?
A:
Doctors are quiet on the issue of climate change and I don’t understand why. Ultimately,
and in our lifetimes, the heath of the entire human population is at stake.
Maybe,
in all our specializations and technological advances, physicians have lost
sight of the human patient, seeing only data on computer screens, malfunctioning
organs, and spots on a CT scan. Perhaps we have become too disconnected from
each other to simply recognize and remember the trust granted to us by the
public at large, and the influence for good we might wield.
Q:
What are you working on now?
A:
I am working on myself right now, my health and my relationship with family and
friends. I finally have some help with my practice so I might enjoy some time
and just relax. I’m looking forward to maybe talking about this book. Let’s see
what happens.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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