- Primacy of personal presence over mediated, digital connectivity
- Image. Chief antagonist Lucifer claims, “Your image can do more for you than you can do for you.”
- Reality of media ecology, and media effects on culture and life
- Importance of literature, the arts and narratives…As Neil Postman said, “Without a narrative, life has no meaning.”
- Reality of cosmic forces, battle of good and evil
- Embracing imagination
- Holding fast to faith and hope, twin essentials for the thickets of life
- There’s no going back
- Dreams — follow them
- Redemption and deliverance
Classically Inspired Author Reveals the Inspiration Behind His Divine Comedy-esque Novel
Presence, the Play by William Jefferson offers a meticulously crafted storyline evoking the imaginative prose of J.R.R. Tolkien, the spirited perception of C. S. Lewis and the dramatic flair of Dante’s Divine Comedy.
On the Isle of Estillyen lives a community of monks, renowned for storytelling. One of the monks, named Script, has written a stage play, titled Presence, the Play. On opening night, a packed crowd eagerly awaits the performance while Script hurries to claim his seat.
Amidst all the buzz, Script has a terrible fall just as the play begins. Medics rush Script to the sanatorium, where he lapses into a coma, in which the true story of Presence, the Play now unfolds. The novel plays out in Script’s comatose state.
In a penetrating interview, William Jefferson lets us into the thinking behind this unique, imaginative work, which is sure to intrigue.
Q: Where did you get the idea for your book?
A: The motivation for writing Presence, the Play was not a spark, or an idea that suddenly pressed upon my mind. Over time, the idea maturated until one day I began to view presence itself as an aspirational antidote to the distant mediated connectivity spurred on by social media platforms. It’s been said that “the greatest gift you can give someone is your presence.” I wholeheartedly agree.
Q: What are the key themes you are trying to convey?