BLACKBIRDS<\/p>\n
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Thanks for \u201cliking\u201d\u00a0 blackbirds on fb.\u00a0 Here\u2019s the story.<\/p>\n
Chinese Blackbird<\/a> \u00a0is the title of my memoir in verse.\u00a0 Originally the title was A Woman\u2019s Cycle, <\/em>but friends liked Chinese Blackbird <\/em>better.\u00a0 Here is a Chinese Blackbird<\/a> by fugar and one by Neil<\/a>.<\/p>\n When I started reading about blackbirds, crows, ravens etc.\u00a0 I discovered blackbirds are not family to crows and ravens<\/a>.\u00a0 Nevertheless, I think ravens and crows are fascinating, smart birds.<\/p>\n When Lori and I created our signature workshop, A Gathering of Storytellers<\/em>, we chose this Dreamstime photo of “birds” because it seemed to us they were chatting, gossiping, telling stories.\u00a0 I also use the logo for my name cards.<\/p>\n Much to my surprise when a friend saw my card she looked at me in disbelief and said something like how could you?\u00a0 Not her exact words, but truthfully I didn\u2019t know what she was talking about.<\/p>\n Jim Crow<\/a>!<\/p>\n Jim Crow<\/a>!<\/p>\n Of course!<\/p>\n Embarrassed that I hadn\u2019t made the connection, I apologized to Lori and was ready to change our logo but she said we should keep it.\u00a0 She, like many of you, are drawn to the raven\/the crow-the Chinese Blackbird.\u00a0 And although crows are often negatively symbolized, they are also very smart and represent \u201cguidance\u201d and \u201clove\u201d \u00a0in African and Asian culture.<\/a><\/p>\n Then again, one of my favorite, yet eerie, lines by Joy Harjo \u00a0\u201cWhat a hard year.\u00a0 We\u2019re all dying, even that crow talking loud and\/kicking up snow.\u201d (\u201cWHO INVENTED DEATH AND CROWS AND IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO CALM THE NOISY CLATTER OF DESTRUCTION?\u201d\u00a0 The Woman Who Fell From the Sky<\/em>) What to make of it?\u00a0 We are all dying, yes, but our stories, hopefully, won\u2019t die with us.<\/p>\n I welcome your comments.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Copyright May 28, 2012<\/p>\n Sherry Quan Lee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BLACKBIRDS Thanks for \u201cliking\u201d\u00a0 blackbirds on fb.\u00a0 Here\u2019s the story. Chinese Blackbird \u00a0is the title of my memoir in verse.\u00a0 Originally the title was A Woman\u2019s Cycle, but friends liked Chinese Blackbird better.\u00a0 Here is a Chinese Blackbird by fugar and one by Neil. When I started reading about …<\/p>\n