Jill Ferguson's friends welcome her first novel
Jennifer Christgau-Aquino
Issue date: 11/17/05 Section: News
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"'Sometimes Art Can't Save You' is the story of one girl's attempt to make sense of and to escape from the chaos that is her life through painting, and some more unhealthy means of coping," Ferguson said at the party at Amanecer Restaurant in San Carlos Nov. 6.
"It contains sex and violence and deals with real life issues, so if these are things you'd rather not read about...don't read my book.
"I think the novel would make an interesting case study for any psychology or art therapy class," she said.
Demetra Paras an artist, family therapist, and former affiliate at Stanford university department of psychiatry wrote, "Sometimes Art Can't Save You gives a voice to the intense anguish that often remains deeply silenced in young people.
"Jill L. Ferguson has captured that mounting tension that for some is only relieved by cutting or some form of self mutilation. . . [This book] does an excellent job capturing a family trapped in the cycle of domestic violence and abuse."
Ferguson wrote her novel five years ago and before it was published, "the manuscript placed as a semi-finalist in the Pirate's Alley William Faulkner Creative Writing Competition in 2001," said Ferguson.
The manuscript also was a semi-finalist in the New Century Writer's Awards in 2003.
Ferguson has been writing monthly for Pittsburgh Parent since 1995 and also freelances for other publications.
"Over 600 of my articles have appeared in print in publications such as The Christian Science Monitor, Woman's Day, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and many more. And a couple of my articles have won awards. I contributed to three books in the late 1990s," said Ferguson.
"I continue to write poetry and to work on short stories. But now my energy is focused on publicity for this SACSY. I will be writing a sequel to it; and this is already formulating in my mind.
"I also have most of a second novel, called The Sharpest Pencil, written. It is an interconnected series of vignettes about people who join a dating service," said Ferguson.
If you are interested in buying a copy of the book you can order from
Ferguson, a lecturer in the Communication Program and teaches children's literature (for the intensive program) at NDNU.
Her day job is the chair of general education at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (where she is also the assessment coordinator, the catalog editor, the chair of the task force on student learning, the WASC Accreditation Liaison Officer, the yearbook adviser and a member of the Academic Affairs Committee.) She also teaches communication, creative writing and literature classes there.