Minister Based His Salacious Novel On His Congregation So He Tried To Have It Destroyed
In 1907, a clergyman scandalized a New York community with a naughty book he wrote that appeared to be based in part on his parishoners
If writers base characters on people they know they better have permission to do so or make sure nobody can ever make the connection. Unfortunately, this appeared to have been lost on the Reverend Benjamin C. Warren, who was forced to apologize profusely and attempt to have his book destroyed after his parishioners discovered that a salacious novel he had written hit a little too close to home.
The April 7, 1907 issue of the Chicago Tribune shared the news of the battle being fought by Warren in the wake of scandal concerning a book he had published. The pastor of the Centenary Methodist Church appeared before 500 fellow clergymen at the New York Methodist Conference on April 3rd and begged for forgiveness for the impact of his novel, In the Land of Romberg, which he had published some years before.
Warren wrote the book while he was leading the Washington Street Church in Poughkeepsie. Unfortunately, when his story got into the hands of his parishioners, there was widespread consternation over the unflattering way…
