A story made in Malibu hit shelves last month when alumnus James Russel Lingerfelt published his first novel “The Mason Jar.”
The novel follows the stories of two fictional Pepperdine students, Clayton and Savannah, on their journeys of love, loss and reconciliation. The story, set largely on and around campus, is partially inspired by Lingerfelt’s experience as a Seaver graduate student. He spent five years working on the novel before its release in December.
“We hadn’t even done mass marketing yet, but I wanted to get it out for Christmas,” Lingerfelt said. The book is scheduled to be available in the campus bookstore, and Lingerfelt plans to partner with Associated Women for Pepperdine to sell the book and donate all proceeds to funding scholarships. Lingerfelt, who earned a master’s of theology in 2006, enjoys casting his alma mater in a positive light. “People ask me, ‘Is Pepperdine really that beautiful?’” Lingerfelt said. “It’s cool to hear such positive feedback.”
Current students will recognize familiar scenes of student life from around campus. The two main characters meet at UM. They take trips to Heroes Garden and Westward Beach. Students pack into Elkins for a screening of “Invisible Children.” Savannah studied abroad in the Florence program.
The format follows a book within a book. Years after their time together at Pepperdine, Savannah lives in London working for auction house Sotheby’s. Her roommate calls to inform her that she just read a book about her. This book, also titled “The Mason Jar” was written by Clayton about their relationship and split, as well as his path to discovering a higher calling through his relationship with his grandfather and his mission and aid work in Africa.
“The message is that life is still beautiful, it may change, and you may not always get what you want, but it can still be beautiful,” Lingerfelt said. Ultimately, Clayton finds himself forced to choose between chasing after the love he’s lost, his childhood dream of getting a doctorate from Vanderbilt like his grandfather, and answering the call to mission in Africa. “Life doesn’t just open up for you; you have to choose. When my world that I’ve always known comes crumbling down, what will I do?” Lingerfelt said.
Lingerfelt came to Pepperdine after completing his bachelor’s in counseling at Auburn University. During his summers, he volunteered on international aid missions to countries like Jamaica, Romania, Mexico and Scotland. Between his undergraduate and graduate careers, he wrote his first book, “The Warrior of Ephes Dammim: When Teenagers Overcome their Giants,” written for a local youth group he volunteered at while in school.
At Pepperdine, he used his undergraduate experience volunteering at the juvenile detention facility Camp David Gonzales. He became involved in aid work in Africa, much like the character in his novel. He worked for “Made-in-the-Streets,” a rehabilitation farm in Kenya, also producing a documentary about the organization’s mission. He later went on to participate in numerous missions in Egypt, Mongolia, Syria and Palestine. He currently serves on the board of LifeBread, a non-profit started by fellow Pepperdine alumnus Dusty Breeding.
Committed to academics, as well as philanthropy and service, Lingerfelt spent two years as adjunct professor of theological studies at Lipscomb University and is now working toward his doctorate in intercultural stories from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena.
