Jason D Hill, PhD is a professor of Philosophy at De Paul University in Chicago. A graduate of Mona Preparatory School and Campion College, Hill is the author of two books on philosophy and political theory, and recently gave a series of controversial lectures in Prague, Amsterdam and London on why the burka should be banned worldwide. He has been away from Jamaica for 18 years and has only returned last week for the first time to visit The Rock.

How does it feel to be in Kingston after so many years?

Coming back to Kingston actually feels ecstatically wonderful. It’s like I just left yesterday. The energy and the generosity of the people are all there. Jamaicans are among the most vibrant people in the world. They know what it is to feel vitality in their bodies. They are a soulful people. I feel relaxed, energised and very much at home.

What made you come back now, after 18 years away?

There are two reasons. I am officially here to interview publishers for my new novel: JAMAICA PREACHER MAN, a multi-generational family saga set against the backdrop of the turbulent ’70s. Politics and sexual coming of age are the major themes of this book. Truthfully, though, after having accomplished all my goals and finding real meaning and purpose in life, I realised I simply missed the island and wanted to return.

What’s your earliest memory of Kingston?

Taking a really difficult reading exam in order to be admitted to Mona Prep. I aced the exam. I’d been reading voraciously since I was three, before I started school. I was an exceptional student.

What has been the best thing about being back?

Understanding that no matter how driven and single-minded you are, or how relentless you are in the pursuit of your goals, you never have to disown a part of yourself by divorcing your heritage.

What has been the biggest disappointment about being back?

Realising that upward social and economic mobility is outside the reach of most of Jamaica’s poor. This makes me upset. On a personal level, my best friend from Campion College still finds it difficult to honour the great friendship that we had by reconnecting. I suppose he has his personal reasons…we all have crosses to bear; but to have achieved greatness in a friendship and not have the courage to honour that union is sad. On the other hand, I simply do not live in a way in which real disappointments are possible. Anything that is a disappointment can, with imagination and creativity, be transformed into an understanding of a deeper way of living with others.

What’s the best meal had in Kingston?

Jerk pork and festival at Scotchies.

Share a few places in your black book.

The Rudas Baths in Budapest, drinks at the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago, coffee and pastries at Café Sperl in Vienna.

Jamaica will celebrate its 50th year of Independence. How have we done from where you sit?

As the grandson of Frank Hill, who was one of the magnificent historical pioneers in the Independence movement, I must say that Jamaicans should be rewarded for maintaining their unshakable resilience, perseverance and tenacity in the face of hardships and setbacks. Jamaica has still managed to preserve its democratic institutions and has stuck, both in spirit and in practice, to the rule of law. But Frank Hill’s vision for a strong sense of justice for the poor, the disenfranchised and the marginalised has yet to be fully woven into the moral conscience of the people, particularly the middle class.

What needs to be done?

Jamaicans must get over their very petty sense of class prejudice and colour consciousness. It’s unfortunate because the lies we tell to convince ourselves that we are better than other people is predicated on shame and insecurity. But it is not a joke. Real damage is done to real peoples’ lives. Jamaicans have to recover a sense of unity and realise that we are all in the same boat and we are all heading to a final destination: death. When you realise that the single most common thing you have with every other being on the planet is that we all will die, you wake up and begin the process of real living which starts with compassion for others and helping them to realise their highest potential.

Share with us the name of the last book read.

I just re-read and taught The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand to seniors at De Paul University. My students loved it. It’s a great book. Her basic philosophy is that the achievement of your own happiness is your highest moral purpose, productive work is your noblest activity, and reason is your only absolute and only guide for living as a rational human being on this earth. I agree completely. My commitment to reason is one of my highest virtues.

And the last bit of music that stirred your soul?

My glorious anthem: Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto. I live according to that theme, and I want to expire on his last chord.

What was your last bit of retail therapy?

On this trip I discovered Bill Edwards, a wonderful Jamaican designer who creates beautiful clothes that are refined and elegant. I am heading to Belgium this summer decked out in my new Edwards outfits!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever given?

I once told a student of mine to take some time off from school and find himself in his passion, which was music. I basically told him to drown the voice of his parents in his mind and to ignore all the selfish ways in which they were using him as proxy to accomplish all the things they could not do with their lives. They wanted him to be a doctor. I told him that his life belonged to him and that people who asked him to sacrifice his life for theirs were moral cannibals and that he should run as fast as he could from such persons. He did. Today he is flourishing and happy as a musician.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

I received two pieces of advice that were equally important to me. The first was from my mother who, upon seeing my anguish before I got my first book published, said: “My son, there is nothing like an idea whose time has come. Your time has not yet come, but it will.” Well, it did come. The second was from Frank Hill, who used to greet me as a boy whenever I visited him with generous copies of Time magazine — advice as gesture.

What is your current project?

I am writing a book on friendship. I don’t think friendship has been sufficiently written about and I want to explore the various dimensions of this complex and under-theorised relationship. I see friendship as crucial for self-actualisation, political advocacy, and for love. I truly love to love. It’s a gift I was blessed with.

Finally, what’s your philosophy?

The African-American drag queen RuPaul said in a song called Cover Girl, “You better work.” I have always believed that we have this sacred thing given to us called life. It’s ours. And we better work to honour the sacredness of that life. It is not primarily the responsibilty of other people to maintain your life. It’s yours. Whether you have a penny to your name or a million dollars. Your life is your responsibility. I don’t do self-pity and I most certainly do not think the world owes me anything. It does not; except one thing: get out of my way!