Duane L. Herrmann, a reluctant carbon-based life-form, was surprised to find himself in 1951 on a farm in Kansas. He’s still trying to make sense of it but has grown fond of grass waving in the wind, trees and the enchantment of moonlight. He aspires to be a hermit, but would miss his children, grandchildren and a few friends. His work has been published in many physical places and online, even some of both in languages he can’t read (English is difficult enough!). His poetry has received the Robert Hayden Poetry Fellowship, inclusion in American Poets of the 1990s, the Map of Kansas Literature (website), Kansas Poets Trail and others. His history, By Thy Strengthening Grace, received the Ferguson Kansas History Book Award in 2007. He is known to carry baby kittens in his mouth, pet snakes, and converse with owls, but is careful not to anger them! All this, despite a traumatic, abusive childhood embellished with dyslexia, ADHD (both unknown then), cyclothymia, an anxiety disorder, and now, PTSD. In addition, he has nine books of poetry, a collection of short stories, a sci fi novel, a book on fasting and a couple dozen stories for children in half a dozen anthologies, plus various work in sixty other anthologies. In 2023, over a hundred of his poems were published in various places. Interviews with him have appeared in print and online. “I write poetry,” he said. “To share my appreciation and amazement in the natural world, as well as to share my life experiences. Poets Choice and Free Spirit are very ambitious endeavors to be applauded.”