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Featured in: Highlighting Australia
As a proudly Australian initiative, we’re excited to showcase a collection of Australian stories, music, tributes and more.
Moments of Truth: Stories About Nights When the Light Gets In is a book by veteran journalist and writer Keith McDonald. It’s about ordinary people dealing with moral dilemmas and it contains short stories and personal essays all about searching for a moral compass in times of difficulty.
Keith kindly shared with us about his book, what it’s about, and the exciting development that paved the way for its publication:
First, can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born in 1950 in England. I lived until my early 20s in Croydon, south London. I went into journalism when I finished school at the age of 18. I was still a cadet journalist on my local newspaper when I stumbled across the Baha’i Faith and joined it in 1973. I married a year later and now have four children and eight grandchildren. We moved to Australia in 1982, first to Singleton in northern New South Wales and then, in 1984, to Perth, Western Australia. I was a print journalist all my working life until I retired in 2013. As a volunteer, I edited the UK Baha’i newspaper “Intercom-Baha’i” and “The Australian Baha’i” magazine, and served on the editorial board of the international Baha’i magazine “Herald of the South”. I have also served on six Local Spiritual Assemblies in England and Australia.
Why short fiction rather than a novel?
After an aborted attempt to write a novel, I decided I would try the shorter format. My feeling is that the shorter format is more appealing to generations that have grown up with quick-fire social media.
What inspired you to write Moments of Truth? How did you decide what stories and essays to include?
I love writing and, after retiring, I took on a couple of voluntary journalism roles. But they had limited audiences. One was editing a community newspaper in a small neighbouring suburb. I believe the world is growing darker and darker so I wanted to find a way of using whatever skills I have as a writer to spread a little light as far afield as possible. Fiction appealed to me as a way of doing this. I have written more than 70 stories. I chose those that I could best describe as Baha’i-inspired and best tapped into Baha’i themes.
Can you tell us a little bit about Moments of Truth: Stories About Nights When the Light Gets In?
It consists of 20 stories. Thirteen are fiction, about 80 per cent of the book, and seven are essays. Although the short fiction has a few Baha’i characters, eight of them have no direct Baha’i content or characters. They are, however, about situations that test the moral resolve of characters and raise topics which Baha’i teachings address. They are about issues such as backbiting, loneliness, romance, marriage, parenting, race and honesty. I thought it would be good to weave a little non-fiction into the mix. Having been a journalist who has written many columns, opinion pieces and feature articles, I am familiar with non-fiction. The essays include reflections on ageing, the life and death of my mother, and an inspirational morning swim.
Do all the stories have a happy ending?
There aren’t neat resolutions to every problem. I like to leave room for the reader to muse afterwards on what has happened in these stories. For example, can a young man trust a woman who has told him a very big lie on their first date? In another story why does a teenage girl reject an offer of support from an older woman? And in a third story a young woman reaches a temporary oasis of calm but where will she go from there?
Could you tell us about the spiritual principles that informed your writing practice?
The Faith is at the heart of who I am. Hopefully, it would be the same for most others with a long-held faith. I strive, not always successfully, to behave as you would expect a Baha’i to behave in following the teachings of Baha’u’llah. Among other things that means being honest, compassionate, pure-hearted, free of prejudice and regarding everyone equally as members of the one human family. All of these qualities can, in turn, help change society for the better and I try to bring those qualities into my writing. The stories reflect Baha’i themes such as service, justice, knowing your own self, oneness, gratitude and the danger of backbiting. Most of the fiction starts with a Baha’i quote relevant to that particular story.
Who is its audience? What do you hope your readers will take away with them long after they’ve finished reading?
I particularly want people who are not Baha’is, including those who are not at all religious, to read the book. I think of my readers as being people who are interested in making the world a kinder and more unified place; people who might choose a generous response over a selfish one. As a Baha’i, I think it is my duty to offer something positive in response to the troubles that now afflict our world, especially those in our daily lives. So it would be great if Baha’is could recommend the book to their friends. And I hope the book will inspire readers to find ways in which they can actively contribute to the building of a better society.
Your book is the product of a new Australian publishing venture. Can you explain about that please?
The book is published by Baha’i Publications Australia. This is its first work of fiction. In recent years the Australian National Spiritual Assembly’s distribution and publication board has strengthened and systematised the distribution side of the business and now it is turning its attention to the publishing of work by individual Baha’i authors.
That’s wonderful news! Thank you for sharing this with us and congratulations on your book!
You can purchase Moments of Truth: Stories About Nights When the Light Gets In from a variety of book retailers including Bahaibooks.com.au in Australia.
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