Exaltation: Stories of Spiritual Adventure

Duane Herrmann is a prolific writer who began honing his craft in his teenage years. Several books later (poetry, non-fiction, sci-fi and more!), Duane has released a collection of Baha’i-inspired stories that are humorous and lofty. Duane graciously agreed to tell us all about this latest book, Exaltation: Stories of Spiritual Adventure:

Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself?

I grew up on a farm in Kansas attending a mainline Christian church. I accepted the Revelation of Baha’u’llah in 1969 when I was 17 which upset my family, some of whom are still upset. In the intervening decades I have tried to demonstrate my continued acceptance of Christ and my appreciation of being in the family. I have been instrumental in uniting the American and German branches of the family which had been separated for over a hundred years. I have four children, seven grandchildren and one great grand.

Can you please tell us a little bit about Exaltation: Stories of Spiritual Adventure?

It is a collection of nine previously published stories. Several deal with dying and possibilities after death based on my understanding of teachings of the Baha’i Faith. Some of the stories mention the Faith, some do not, but Baha’i ideas are an element of every story. The stories are set in different times and places, some in the past, at least one in the future. They are arranged chronologically in the book according to their time setting. The stories are told from different points of view. These range from the stream of consciousness of the main character, to a series of old letters that are a surprise discovery, to a more typical third person point of view. The ages of the main characters range from a child to adult. The book is available direct from the publisher or from Amazon.

What inspired you to create this book?

The stories were originally published/posted in various places in print and online and I wanted to gather them together in one place. This is my second collection of short stories. I also have a science fiction novel (about the experience of a Baha’i family who answers the call of the House of Justice for pioneers to help build community on a distant planet), a local history, a book on the Baha’i Fast, and nine collections of poems.

I want each story in the collection to expand the awareness of the reader.

I’ve wanted to “make stories” from the time I was a toddler and learned that squiggles on paper told stories. It has taken me until retirement to be able to really spend significant time doing that.

Who is its audience?

I hope that readers who are not Baha’i will be able to learn a little about some teachings of the Baha’i Faith. I hope the ideas in the stories will expand every reader’s concept of our possibilities after death. Most people I know fear death to some degree. Even relatives of mine who were sure they were saved expressed a fear of dying when they knew the end of their life had come. Personally, I’m eager to discover what “form” I may be given after death to “suit its immortality.” And, I’m eager to do more from the next world, in ways I can’t do now, to assist and inspire people who are alive.

I want to share my understanding of Baha’i teachings with others, Baha’i or not, and fiction seems to be an entertaining way to do that.

What’s something you’ve learned in the process of making this book?

It is very helpful, almost essential, to have initial readers who do not know much about the content of the stories to read and comment on them so you can learn how you have, or have not, accomplished the goal/s of the stories. You, the author, know too much and can easily assume too much on the part of potential readers.

When you are working with a publisher in a different country, with a different culture, and different native language, there can be misunderstandings along the way. Patience is required. Despite that, progress can be achieved.

Not every reader will like every story. That is to be expected.

What do you hope readers will take away with them?

With the stories whose main characters are Baha’i, I hope to show glimpses into life as a Baha’i, or as a member of the Baha’i community. I hope to give meaning to the word Baha’i that the general reader might not otherwise have. I hope to be able to help them be comfortable with the Faith.

With those stories that deal with life after death, I hope people gain new ideas and possibilities about life after death and have less fear of death than previously.

What is some advice you’d give to anyone pursuing Baha’i-inspired creative work?

If you use quotes from Sacred Text be sure the quotes are accurate and they are appropriate to the context of the story.

It would be helpful if there were more outlets for teaching the Faith through creative literature in print and online. How can we fulfill the Guardian’s statement about a wildfire of teaching, when there’s no place for the fire to start?

I think a fictional setting, especially one not in our current time, or not on Earth (or both), can help people learn new things without threatening their current emotional comfort. Science fiction is an excellent setting for that. If readers would like to help with that effort, please vote in favour of this project (933 more votes are needed), it costs nothing.

Thank you, Duane, for taking the time to share this with us!

You can find Exaltation: Stories of Spiritual Adventure for sale from the publisher or from Amazon.

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Sonjel Vreeland

In her innermost heart, Sonjel is a stay-at-home parent and a bookworm with a maxed out library card but professionally she is a museologist with a background in English Literature. She currently lives on Prince Edward Island, an isle in the shape of a smile on the eastern Canadian coast. Sonjel is a writer who loves to listen to jazz when she's driving at night.