The poet Sharon Olds said, "To a poet, the human community is like the community of birds . . . singing to each other. Love is one of the reasons we are singing to one another, love of language itself, love of sound, love of singing itself, and love of the other birds." Bird flight and birdsong provide lyrical and potent metaphors for life, love, freedom, death, and spirituality in cultures throughout the world. Jeni Foster will incorporate folk music to discuss symbolism and metaphor in lyrics throughout the years in "Birdsong: Birds as metaphor in American Folk Music." The Jefferson County Library is pleased to host this Oregon Chautauqua program from the Oregon Council for the Humanities.

This free, public program will take place on Thursday May 22nd at 7:00 pm at the Library Annex. Foster explores the symbolism of birds within the rich heritage of American folk music. She weaves both traditional and

contemporary traditional and contemporary folk songs throughout her narrative to expand upon the stories of everyday Americans and well-known moments in our country's history. Audience participation enhances the experience as Foster, who has had the family nickname of Jeniwren since her childhood, invites audience members to sing along on the choruses of songs chosen to illustrate her program.

OCH is an independent, nonprofit affiliation of the National Endowment of the Humanities that is dedicated to the belief that knowledge and ideas are fundamental to the health of our communities. More information about OCH's programs and publications, which include Oregon Chautauqua, Humanity in Perspective, and Oregon Humanities magazine, can be found at www.oregonhum.org.