Deaf Pagan Crossroads

Harold E. Curtis is a hard of hearing man who lives with his family in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Northern California. He has written a fantasy novel The Tribunal of the Rose which is being published by Twilight Fantasies Publications and expected to to be released in May of 2007.

I recently chatted with Harold to discuss his book, his life, deafness, Paganism, and other interesting subjects…

“What is your book about?”

My book is about a Human woman who falls in love with a knight from the realm of the Sidhe. However, commerce between the two worlds is forbidden by both, and if discovered, the two would be killed.

“Sounds interesting. You talk about two people coming from two different worlds…I’m curious, do you think an analogy could be made here – the efforts of the woman and this knight trying to bridge their two worlds; compared to building those bridges between the deaf and hearing communities?”

Definitely I could make that analogy…the key is in the two worlds converging. They have always been there, but few have crossed the line from one to the other. There is a lot of mistrust, as seen by the efforts of both cultures to keep them apart. I think the two can interact very well together when approached in the right frame of mind.

There is a lot of metaphorical basis to the book, so in that respect I think if someone wants to draw analogies they would be able to.

I notice that you refer to the Sidhe. Would you say your own Path leans towards Celtic Reconstructionism or Druidism or ???

It’s a mix of a little bit of everything.

Eclectic?

That’s a good word to use!

How did you decide to write this book?

Originally it was sent in as an entry for a contest at the urging of my wife, who thought I could write a good romantic fantasy. It was something new and I figured a writer should test his limits, and since I didn’t consider myself as a romance writer, it was a good way for me to grow both professionally and personally. I didn’t win the contest, but a publisher heard of the story and contacted me for publishing.

What do you hope people will gain from reading your book?

WOW…this could take a lot of explaining! I hope people will become more open, on some level, that there are other realms to our experiences than just one, and thus our life can be influenced by the “unseen”world… indeed it IS influenced and if we just become more open to that influence and aware of it, then we can live a more complete life. Most of which involves taking risks.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I am never good at these kinds of questions, as I don’t see myself as anybody particularly special or different. I am just me, who I am and what I become… although others have disagreed with that so I let people draw their own conclusions since I can’t control what they think anyway. I enjoy human nature – knowing why people do what they do; consequently I am nosy… LAUGHING. The more I can explore and follow my dreams, the happier I am. In many ways, I could be considered a subtle revolutionary. I like working behind the scenes and don’t seek out the limelight. I write because for me not to do so means I destroy my soul. My writing is a deep expression of my life’s journey – rich in the metaphors of the soul.

Tell me a little about your involvement and experience with the Deaf Community.

I grew up with the deaf and hard of hearing community around me and even now there are still ties to it. I learned sign language early on (6th grade) and was exposed to it off and on throughout my life up to the present. I’ve been involved with internet Deaf groups, and have advocated and consulted with folks dealing with the issues surrounding deaf and hard of hearing access in the Pagan Community and for various events. I also worked on a Task Force which was lobbying for legislation for services for Deaf Children with Multiple Handicaps.

I believe you are hard of hearing yourself… can you share a bit about that?

Yes, I am hard of hearing…and was early on in my life due to massive ear infections. I had surgery twice to correct the condition and for a time, both were successful. Currently, I do have particular problems in the one ear that could be medically corrected, but I have elected not to have this done because I feel it would be too risky, and after this long would be redundant as well. So I content myself with using a hearing aid (within the last two years). Prior to that, I lived just fine being hard of hearing.

I live between the worlds – if you will – with both my hearing loss and my spiritual life. Hence my writings of living with two worlds.

I noticed that your book video is quite “Deaf-Friendly”… was that intentional when you created it?

Honestly, I don’t know. I think on an unconscious level it was – because I wanted to reach as many people as I could with my book(s), and since I have such strong ties to both the hard of hearing and deaf communities it goes without saying that I want to be as inclusive as possible. I want them to share in my dreams/enjoyment and the power of writing. The video trailer is a good gateway to both worlds connecting.

to learn more about Harold E. Curtis’s book “The Tribunal of the Rose”

click on the above graphic to be taken to the book trailer!