I am a lifelong, active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is more commonly known as the Mormon church. People routinely ask why I remain in an imperfect church that sometimes fails in its treatment women and other minorities. My philosophy is to build Zion where I am and work for progress in my own community because there are no perfect organizations.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a space in which I have had profound spiritual experiences and developed my most lasting communities. Surprisingly, my ward families have also been the spaces in which I have encountered the most economic and political diversity.

Although I am a Latter-day Saint, I am not a Utah Mormon. Growing up as a religious minority shapes my perspective. I went to a Catholic high school in the eastern United States and then earned a BA from University of Chicago, a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law, and a PhD in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. My writing is informed by people of a variety of religious persuasions as well as by my training in literary criticism.

I appreciate President Russell M. Nelson’s call to recenter our faith on Christ by using the church’s full name. I strive to use the full name or “Latter-day Saint” whenever possible. There are some sentences, however, in which there are no substitutes for the term “Mormonism” or “Mormon,” and I sometimes slip after being conditioned for years to use the term. I typically intentionally use “Mormonism” when referring to the faith’s entire historical tradition and culture, which is often broader than the organizational church and its members. I frequently use “Mormon” to describe the culture adjacent to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and people who identify with the tradition but no longer consider themselves members. I also use “Mormon” and “Mormonism” where it is more historically appropriate.

I became interested in how the housing crisis was reshaping America before I began writing regularly about religion and economics. Inspired by my own frustration trying to find housing in Colorado, my dissertation, Missing Homes: Poe, Brontë, Dickens and Displacement, focuses on how three writers’ experiences of housing instability influenced their literary innovations.

I never read a mainstream novel that did not sensationalize Mormons until after earning a PhD in literature. I want to change that. My next big project is a multi-generational, not-so-Gothic novel set in Brigham Young’s Lion House, southern Utah, 1970s Boston, and today’s influencer culture. It’s a love letter to Mormon women past and present that I hope will give people a more accurate view of Mormonism while not compromising on story.

The best place to connect with me is on Instagram @nataliebrownwriter.

Yes! I love to connect with people about my writing. I can do virtual or in-person events depending on the location and my availability. After Happiness is especially suited for Latter-day Saint student associations and book clubs.