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Author's Note "Chicken dreaming corn" is an expression my Romanian Jewish grandmother used to refer to the yearnings of ordinary folks for something special or extraordinary. I recently learned that the saying in Romanian, pasareamalai viseaza,means"the bird dreams of corn," implying lofty expectations or unreachable goals, and that malai can mean maize, corn flour, or a type of brittle corn bread. Malai crumbs, more desirable to many birds than corn, might be hard to attain. I figure my grandmother gave an Alabama twist to the expression, especially since she and my grandfather opened their first place of business next door to Mobile Poultry Farm, "Dealers in Eggs and all kind of Live &Home-Dressed Poultry." This is one of the kernels of fact in a work of the imagination. This page intentionally left blank ...

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