Jim Fergus '68 is a prolific writer, having published hundreds of articles, essays, interviews, and profiles in a wide variety of regional and national magazines and newspapers. His most recent novel, The Vengeance of Mothers, was published in 2017 and is the second book of a planned trilogy based on his first novel, One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd, which won the 1999 "Best of the West" fiction award from the Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association and has since sold over a million copies in the United States.
To this day, however, Jim counts as his proudest moment as a writer having received a perfect score of 100 from teaching legend Tom Chaffee, for a one-page essay he wrote in English class at Berkshire. So unusual, the story goes, Jack Stewart heard about this and mentioned it at hockey practice that afternoon.
Today, Jim divides his time between southern Arizona, northern Colorado, and France.
Note: Jim Fergus '68 will return to Berkshire to celebrate his 50th reunion during Reunion Weekend, June 8-10. Together with classmate John Thompson '68, the pair will host an Authors' Discussion on Saturday, June 9 at 8:30 a.m. in the North Alcove of Benson Commons (dining hall). Books by both authors will be available in the book store.
What are your fondest memories of Berkshire?
As a nature lover, and future semi-recluse writer, I loved first the landscape that surrounds Berkshire, the mountains and fields, and its relative isolation. I've managed to live virtually my entire life since in the countryside, in or near small towns, and that brings me back to memories of the Berkshires. Of course, I remember wonderful friends I made there, most of whom I haven't seen in a half-century. But those 50 years pass in a wink, as all alumni who are lucky enough to get there will find out. And I expect that I and my old friends will take up right where we left off. I remember some great teachers . . . and others maybe not so great. Among the greats was a brilliant, stern, intimidating English teacher named Tom Chaffee, whom all feared in the classroom, and were filled with dread when assigned to sit at his dining table. Mr. Chaffee had a huge influence on my dream of becoming a writer. I sent him a copy of my first published book, and he wrote me back to say that he was proud of me, which was one of the proudest moments of my life. I keep an image in mind of Tom Chaffee, walking on the edge of campus with his black lab, head bent, smoking a pipe, seemingly buried in thought. I have particularly fond memories of playing hockey under Coach and Athletic Director Jack Stewart, and of all my teammates, especially my co-captain, Matt Reed '68, and left wing, Freddy King '70. That was my favorite sport, and though I haven't skated in decades, I still dream about being on the ice at Berkshire.
What are the most important life lessons that you learned as a student?
During spring break of sophomore year, both my parents died within 12 days of each other on different continents and of separate causes. Inevitably, this experience would taint the rest of my days at Berkshire. I was at home with my father at the time of his death and was late returning to school after vacation, due to the funerals. Some of my fellow students averted their eyes when they first saw me, not knowing what to say, nor did I, such matters being awkward territory for young men. This was before the time of psychological counselors on faculty, and I don't remember having a conversation with any of my teachers about my parents' deaths, which was fine by me because I was still in a state of shock and didn't want to talk about it. My friends all seemed to understand this instinctively, and though of course some of them offered their sincere condolences upon my return, we all slipped more or less right back into our familiar relationships and routines. I learned then the importance of good friends in the face of a tragedy, the simple fact of their presence, their good humor and natural kindness, the best tonic to grief. The house I grew up in would be sold before I returned, and my sister and I moved in with guardians, all our possessions either sold or put in storage. For the next two years, Berkshire would fill for me the role of that place one calls home. But I also learned that I was an angry boy and rebelled against authority. One day in French class, I spoke harshly and unkindly to the teacher Madame Stein who sent me to the library. Later that day, I was summoned to Mr. Chase's office. "The Bear," as we called him, was another frighteningly imposing figure on campus. Quite angrily, he told me that the best plan for me would be to leave school and join the Army, where I would learn discipline and respect for authority. Of course this was during the height of the war in Vietnam, and the Bear's advice seemed to me a distinctly bad idea. I was not expelled as I expected to be. I don't know for sure, but I think Jack Stewart and other teachers came to my defense, and there I learned the grace of forgiveness and second chances. All these years later, I still felt guilty about having spoken to Madame Stein in that way, and having never apologized to her. And then just this past year, after the publication of my most recent novel, I got an email from Marianne Hubert, the former Madame Stein, who is Belgian and lives in that country, but was back in New York for a reunion of Berkshire students. She told me that she'd read the French edition of my book. We had a delightful email exchange and made tentative plans to get together sometime when I'm in France. Often certain life lessons learned at boarding school don't reveal themselves until much later in life.
Can you tell us about your career and hobbies? Why are you passionate about them?
I've been a fly fisherman since my father took me to the Orvis store in Vermont a couple of years before his death and purchased an Orvis "99" bamboo fly rod as a gift to me. I still own and cherish that rod. When I was around 40 years old, I suddenly developed an obsession with upland bird hunting, which led to my first published book, A Hunter's Road. Those two outdoor activities, fly fishing and bird hunting, would conveniently segue into a decade-plus-long career as what is sometimes disparagingly referred to as a "hook-and-bullet" writer. I didn't care that it is not considered a highly literary form (unless, of course, one is Ivan Turgenev, Knut Hamsun, or Ernest Hemingway), I was simply grateful to be paid enough to earn a modest living doing something I loved to do.
How did Berkshire help you shape and pursue your goals?
Like most writers, my career began in childhood as a voracious reader. I credit the aforementioned English teacher, Tom Chaffee, for further developing in me a love and deep respect for the written word. During my senior year, Mr. Chaffee gave me a grade of 100 for a one-page essay I wrote. At the time, that was considered an unprecedented event, and although I had already planned to try to become a writer, I figured that if I can get a perfect score from Mr. Chaffee, anything is possible.
What advice would you give to today's students?
I'm afraid my generation that started out so full of hope, idealism, and the desire to change the world, has left today's students with an utter mess. Our planet itself is at grave risk, and though scientists have warned about man-made climate change for decades now, we have done virtually nothing about it. And the little we have done is now being undone. I would encourage students to stand up and speak out against fascism and autocracy, the denial of science and truth, and the racism and disenfranchisement that has simmered for so long beneath the surface of society. Get active, and vote.