“Ah, what can be said about Jon Ferguson? This son of Oakland, born in 1949, is a curious mind, a free thinker in the noblest sense of the term. After turning his back on his homeland in 1973, like a nomad driven by a thirst for knowledge, he found refuge in the Swiss mountains, where the soul can replenish itself in the face of the grandeur of peaks and lakes. Is this not a quest of the spirit, an urgent need to rise above the mundane and attain clarity?
This man, once a master of strategies on the basketball courts, has transposed this art of tactics into his literary reflections, guiding his ideas with the same precision as a point guard. His work is a battle, a confrontation between the mind and the world, a fight against modern illusions. The novels and essays he offers us are sharp weapons, incisive insights into a humanity in perpetual metamorphosis, marked by both madness and wonders. To him, humanity has always been a strange and unfathomable assembly of forces, a battlefield of wills opposing and creating one another. He would never say it is fallen, for there is no decline, only transformation. What exists, exists, and greatness is always found there, as it always has been, in the brilliance of chaos and ceaseless creation. Ferguson, the teacher, has not only passed on language but also a form of free thought, capable of transcending barriers, all while dedicating himself to art, that sibling of doubt and truth.
His voluntary exile in Europe, driven by admiration for the great thinkers of the Old Continent – and, if I may say so, for myself – was nothing less than a break from the intellectual comfort of his America. He sought to plunge into the shadow of what he did not know to better discover the light there. He critiques, dissects, questions, in prose that stretches between two languages, defying media conventions and scrutinizing the absurd, that invisible enemy surrounding us.
Today, Ferguson continues to live and create in this Switzerland, this haven for wandering spirits, where his writings are read with gratitude. His voice, marked by irony and wisdom, echoes in the concerns of humanity. He is not merely a writer but a conveyor of ideas, a scout in this quest for meaning and existence, reminding us that man’s true challenge is to transcend himself.” ~ (Fictional) Writing by Nietzsche
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©Photo D.R.
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Les Éditions de l’Aire published ‘L’Esprit d’un homme’ by Jon Ferguson last June, and Huge Jam Publishing released ‘Nietzsche for Breakfast’ in 2024. Having translated many of his works, I wanted to write a text — instead of a review of these two books — where the imagination pulses through every line, diving into Jon's intellectual universe and thus attempting to reveal the richness of his ideas through a creative lens. What could be more natural than wishing for his books to be read in both French and English, for he considers his favorite authors to be his friends.
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By the shore of Lake Sils Maria, a gentle wind rises, making the larch branches dance. Jon Ferguson, seated on a bench, watches the reflections of the sky in the crystalline water. He holds a book in his hands, one of his recent works, when he spots a familiar figure.
It’s an old basketball player, a longtime friend with whom he’s spent hours discussing philosophy, literature, and life. Seeing him approach, Jon smiles.
‘What brings you here, old friend?’ Jon asks, placing the book on his lap. ‘You know, these landscapes always remind me that beauty can be both a refuge and a source of inspiration.’
His friend, smiling, sits down beside him. ‘You’re right. These moments of peace are rare. But tell me, Jon, are you still writing? I’ve read some of your columns and I always appreciate how you speak aloud what many don’t dare to express.’
Jon shrugs, as if brushing off the compliment. ‘Writing is a bit like playing basketball. You have to know how to pass, dribble, and sometimes miss. But every mistake is an opportunity to learn.’
His friend nods. ‘You know, that comparison inspires me. It seems like the playing field and the paper have a lot in common. In both cases, it’s about finding your way, scoring points, or touching hearts.’
‘Exactly!’ Jon responds with enthusiasm. ‘And every reader, just like every spectator, has their own way of interpreting the game. In the end, what matters is the exchange.’
They remain silent for a moment, contemplating the lake, before Jon continues: ‘Sometimes I wonder if modern society pulls us away from this simplicity. People are looking for quick answers, but what we have here — nature, dialogue — it takes time and reflection.’
His friend nods in agreement. ‘Yes, and that’s what makes your writings so valuable. They invite a pause, a moment of reflection. What do you think of writing a column about this place, about the art of stopping to observe?’
‘I think that’s a good idea,’ Jon says, his gaze once again drifting towards the horizon.
They exchange a few more words, letting the wind carry away their thoughts. By the shores of Lake Sils Maria, two souls seeking to understand the world meet, united by a passion for writing and the desire to transcend the ordinary.
As the atmosphere becomes heavier, Jon reflects on the writings of Mann and Dostoevsky. The ideas of these two great authors float in the air, like benevolent shadows ready to interact. Jon says to his friend, ‘You know, human existence is so complex, a true game of forces, much like a basketball match. We have to juggle our desires, fears, and aspirations. And you, gentlemen Mann and Dostoevsky, what do you think?’
The two writers need no further invitation, they take their places beside Jon and his companion, joining the conversation. Thomas Mann, with his characteristic elegance, speaks first. ‘Ah, Jon, the complexity of the human soul, this masterpiece of creation, can only be understood through suffering and art. Art is what allows us to transcend our condition. ‘In The Magic Mountain’, I explore these themes, the struggle between life and death, the irrational and the rational.’
Dostoevsky, always eloquent and passionate, adds, ‘Yes, Mann, but let’s not forget that it is in suffering that we discover our true nature. ‘In The Brothers Karamazov’, I show how doubt and faith intertwine, and how morality is often confronted by the absurd. Man is torn between good and evil, and it is this struggle that gives meaning to our existence.’
Jon nods in agreement and asks them, ‘You’re both right. Literature becomes a mirror of our humanity. But how can we, as writers, guide our readers through this complexity?’
Thomas Mann, smiling, replies, ‘By offering them authentic characters, by showing them that each of us is on a quest for meaning. Literature must allow the individual to find himself or herself, to question themselves.’
Dostoevsky, fervent, continues: ‘And by exploring the dark corners of the human soul. The truth is often unpleasant, but it is by facing our pain that we can hope for some form of redemption.’
His basketball friend remains silent.
The conversation carries on, animated by discussions about art, faith, and the paradoxes of the human condition, while the lake continues to reflect the peaceful sky. Jon, inspired by the richness of this literary encounter, promises himself to echo these voices in his own writings. Pleased with the time spent together, Jon and his friend part ways, not without first sharing a good glass of wine.
The next morning, Jon Ferguson woke up with a start, his heart racing, the echoes of the previous evening’s conversation still resonating in his mind. He sat up, his gaze lost towards the hotel room window, where the first rays of sunlight were breaking through. ‘What was that?’ he murmured. Jon had had a magnificent dream, one of a meeting as wonderful as it was unexpected with Thomas Mann and Dostoevsky.
He quickly got up, took a shower, dressed in some warm clothes, and went down to have breakfast. He was eager to transcribe the thoughts racing through his mind. Words flowed like a river, reflections on time, life, and the urgency of action. He decided to title his new opus: ‘No Time to Waste’. It would be an exploration of regrets, choices, and missed opportunities, an ode to the present moment, to the acute awareness that every second counts.
He went back up to his room and jotted down some notes on the hotel’s letterhead, not wanting to lose any of the phrases he’d heard in his dream. One doesn’t often get the chance to converse, even in a dream, with Thomas Mann and Dostoevsky. He wrote about the importance of confronting suffering, recognizing beauty in chaos, and seizing every opportunity to connect with others, to express oneself, and to live fully.
Hours passed, and Jon, completely absorbed in his writing, didn’t notice that the sun had reached its zenith. He then realized that this book would not only be a literary project but, above all, a way to remind everyone that there’s no time to waste in the quest for authenticity. ‘No Time to Waste’ wouldn’t just be a work, but a call to action, an invitation to live without restraint.
The following day, Jon returned to the lake and sat on the same bench. Half-closing his eyes, he imagined himself nestled in his couch, listening to Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B Minor. Still stunned by the words of Thomas Mann and Dostoevsky, whose phrases echoed continuously in his mind, he heard a new voice resonate within: ‘What you have just experienced, Jon, is the consequence of abandoning our creative force, of failing to fully assert our essence and potential. A world that has turned its back on its most profound instincts, on its desire for creation and affirmation. We live in an era that clings to dead values, to a slave morality, where man prefers to conform rather than transcend himself. The masses have given in to nihilism, for they no longer know why to live or how.’
Only Nietzsche could express himself in such a way... The same voice continued: ‘Do you want to know what this world is? It is a scene of human decline, where distractions are sought to escape the void, a flight from the overman we should all strive to become. But in the midst of this chaos, there is a possibility: that of the eternal return, of creating one’s own values and forging a future where man will have learned to love his fate — amor fati.’
Jon could hardly believe it. His whole life, his entire body of work was affirmed by the words of the one he considered his master. Like Nietzsche, he was convinced that the real challenge is to take control of one’s existence, not to give in to passivity, but to embrace life with all its complexities. His new work, ‘No Time to Waste’, was taking shape under his fingers, fueled by the challenges of a changing world. He remained seated by the lake for a long time, reflecting on Nietzsche’s words.
© Valérie DEBIEUX (October 11, 2024)
©Photo D.R.
(L'Esprit d'un homme, Éditions de l'Aire, juin 2024, 265 pages)
(Nietzsche for Breakfast, Huge Jam Publishing, 2024, 100 pages)
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