Featured Interview With Jeremy S. Adams
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I have lived in Bakersfield, California my whole life. My roots there are proudly deep. I teach at Bakersfield High School, home of “The Drillers,” which is 131 years old. It is the only school where I have ever taught—26 years and counting. My four siblings and I attended the high school. My father taught there for 30 years. I met my future wife there. My children are Drillers. The wonderful thing about Bakersfield High School is it is a microcosm of America—we have a little bit of everything. Rich and poor, a lot of ethnic, religious, and class diversity. If there is a trend happening in America writ large, I guarantee it can be seen on the campus where I teach.
This is why my students are my inspiration. They are the signposts of a society in deep and woeful distress—their addiction to technology, their myopic view of the nation and its history, their loneliness and worrisome mental health, their often chaotic family living arrangements. My writing career has been devoted to sounding alarm bells as loudly as possible and offering realistic solutions so that they can make the most of their lives and the blessing of human liberty that has been bequeathed to them.
I have three children, two dogs and just proudly celebrated my 25th Anniversary with my wife and high school sweetheart, Jennifer.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I know it is odd, but I loved writing stories as a child more than reading them. I was not a particularly bookish child, even though I had two parents who were avid readers. I really fell in love with books early in college when I made the most important discovery of my life—words from long ago somehow entomb eternal truths that can live on forever. There I was as a college freshman, being asked life’s big questions, having nothing but inclinations and shallow shibboleths from my youth. And yet, by reading Plato and Aristotle, learning about the Gospel and the Four Noble Truths, and absorbing ideas from men and women who had died long ago, I could find some answers and solve some riddles of how to live a better life today. That seemed utterly magical to me. It left me with the impression that books, ideas, and words allow us to create a community of learners that can stretch across the centuries. I think anyone who has ever been inspired to live differently because of a book or author believes there is a grand nobility in writing that is different than any other human ambition.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am always reading two books simultaneously—one fiction and one non-fiction. Some of my favorite non-fiction writers are historians and political commentators. I really revere the works of David McCullough, Gordon Wood, Joseph Ellis, and Ron Chernow. I have a deep love of ancient philosophy, so the works of Seneca, Aristotle, and Boethius have deeply affected me, as well as the inventor of the essay, Michel de Montaigne. Tolstoy is my favorite writer of all time, and while I love his fiction, especially The Death of Ivan Ilych, his autobiographical writing about his struggles with religious faith is some of the most underappreciated prose in the western canon. My favorite modern novelists are Ian McEwan, Julian Barnes, Donna Tartt, and Elizabeth Strout. I think American fiction writing is as strong as it has ever been.
I genuinely believe all writing and all genres are an attempt to explore the central problem of being a human being. We are intelligent enough to know questions but not intelligent enough to know the answers we want. We live in the finitude of time, but we want eternal and infinite wisdom in its durability and vitality. We have these limited brains, sensitive hearts, and severely limited bodies for a length of time we do not know while encountering new troubles and fresh tribulations daily. Being alive is hard, but we also have a sense that it is spectacularly special, that it is a gift, and that there are paths available to us that are higher, better, and more meaningful. I love any genre, any author, and any project that helps us to make sense of the messiness and promise of life.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Last month, HarperCollins published the book I have wanted to write and publish my whole life. It is entitled Lessons in Liberty: Thirty Rules for Living from Ten Extraordinary Americans, and to be blunt, it is my magnum opus. It is a book of patriotic self-help: think George Washington meets Atomic Habits.
I found both inspiration and sadness in the reality that many contemporary Americans lead unhappy lives. A staggering 30% express broad dissatisfaction, while a quarter of 18–24-year-olds have contemplated suicide. Our nation grapples with civic and personal misery. Despite our freedom, we face a great conundrum: how to use liberty meaningfully and productively. As a teacher, I firmly believe that we learn best through examples, especially stories. In my book, I delve into the lives of ten extraordinary Americans spanning different walks of life and time periods—from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to Ben Nighthorse Campbell and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. From their wisdom and habits, we can extract three practical and actionable rules for successful and happy living. By looking to the past, we can shape our future. The book is not only informative but also practical, offering guidance to modern Americans who seek assistance. I truly believe it can play a powerful role in improving our personal and political lives.
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