Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia
Thank you for listening in.

I am delighted and thrilled that my dear friend and poet; Jean-Jacques Fournier is with me today to speak about crows, and ravens within his poetry.

As background, ravens and crows are embedded within our mythologies from ancient times. In Greek mythology the crow was a symbol of Apollo in his role as god of prophecy. In Norse mythology, Odin is portrayed by a raven. In Celtic mythology, Morrighan, the warrior goddess appears in the form of a crow or raven. Crows and ravens have been envisioned as a mediator animal between life and death. They have been known as tricksters and mischief makers.
Jean-Jacques has great insight into these magnificent creatures.

Klausbernd Vollmar on Ugliness – Tea. Toast. & Trivia.
S3 E8: Klausbernd Vollmar on Ugliness
Welcome to Tea Toast & Trivia. Thank you for listening in.
I am travelling over 7,500 kilometers to Cley-Next-The-Sea, an idyllic artists’ village situated on the River Glaven in Norfolk, England. I am meeting up once again with my dear blogger friend, and professional author, Klausbernd Vollmar, who is an authority on colour theory and in the language of symbols in dreams and art. In our last podcast, we explored the idea of beauty. Klausbernd has come back for another riveting conversation on the concept of “ugly” and ugliness. This promises to be an extraordinary discussion.
So, put the kettle on and add to your thoughts on Tea Toast & Trivia.
Klausbernd Vollmar graduated with a (MA) in German and Nordic literature, philosophy, geology, and linguistics at the University of Bochum/Germany. In Finland and Germany, he worked as assistant professor specializing in symbol systems. Winning a postgraduate scholarship by the Canada Council, he came to Canada and worked for four years as lecturer at the McGill University, Montreal. He was an editor of several magazines in Germany, Canada, and Greece.
Klausbernd studied and graduated in general and clinical psychology at the Ruhr-University/Germany. Working in Germany and England in a private practice, his writing specialized on colour and symbolism. His website is www.kbvollmar.com
Thank you, Klausbernd, for sharing your knowledge on ugliness and how it influences our lives an choices. I appreciate our friendship that has evolved over the past years and the many conversations that are yet to come. You continue to inspire me and foster a compassionate community spirit.
Dear listeners, thank you for joining Klausbernd and me on Tea Toast & Trivia. I know you will enjoy following the extraordinary adventures of The Fab Four of Cley – Klausbernd, Hanne, Siri and Selma on their blog, The World According to Dina. You are only an internet click away from a vibrant discussion that opens new avenues of exploration.
Until next time, stay safe, be well.

A very dear friend you are, and lest we forget ‘The Hostess With The Mostess’ to say the least, for having conceived and hosting this, your marvelous Tea Toast & Trivia. Thus so and of course all the more for inviting me to spend a most enjoyable time on the subject of poetry and our mutual penchant for those magnificent Ravens and Crows. I’ve just finished listening to us again, and “absolutely” concur with the recent mention of you being “the very talented host of TT&T. What a treat to have been given the pleasure of being your guest, in such a relaxed and easygoing style of conversation. Thankful I am indeed, Lady Budd, for having invited me…! Et à bientôt, chère Rebecca.
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Thank you so much for graciously accepting my invitation to tea. Our conversations awaken me to the breadth and depth of poetry – how words give voice to humanity’s longing for understanding and acceptance. Embracing the amazing creatures that share our world is essential. Your poetry allows us to see the world from the high vantage point of crows and ravens in flight. And in so doing, we recognize kindred spirits and fellow travelers. Sending many many thanks for sharing your poetry.
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I enjoyed the conversation about crows and of course Jean-Jacques’ reading of his poem. Are you familiar with the Australian blog, Reflections of an Untidy Mind? For the past several weeks, this blog has featured a Corvid challenge. I was wondering if Jean-Jacque’s comments about the young woman with the crow who said “Hello” were about a video that was featured. What I learned about Corvid behavior and intelligence was just fascinating!
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What a wonderful blog – fabulous photos of corvids! Another example of how creativity is bringing together a virtual community. Thank you for the introduction. Here is the video that shows a raven talking – I smile every time I listen to it!!: https://youtu.be/AfsnHVaScjg
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I’m so glad you checked out Tracy’s blog, Rebecca! I just watched the video of the large crow with a mind of his own.
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I also meant to mention that I enjoyed Rebecca’s “A Gathering of Crows.”
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You are a wonderful encouragement to me, Liz!!! Thank you.
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You’re welcome, Rebecca!
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My fave part was the JEAN-JACQUES recitation. It’s always great to hear his voice and his poetry.
Thank you to both of you!
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I agree, Resa. Jean-Jacques voice brings out the full measure of his words, his deep resonance adds layers of meaning within his message. So glad that you listened in.
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Me too! His voice is excellent for reading/reciting. So is yours.
I wonder if there is a poem that would suit your voices together…. like Sonny and Cher … sorta, but poetry…. Rebecca and Jean-Jacques?
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What an honour that would be!!!
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I’ll bet he has a poem for that!
I would love to hear the 2 of you!
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