The Language of Birds: Some Notes on Chance and Divination

Chance, the great beloved of gamblers, lovers, generals and kings, has long held sway over mortal affairs. Whether assuming the form of the goddess Fortuna and her ever-turning wheel, or the abstract mathematic of ‘randomness’, her favor is universally sought, and her displeasure feared. To the devotee of Chance, the arts of divination may be regarded as her secret liturgy, providing glimpses of the unknown to those she esteems. Into the retort of the alchemist-poet, Pendell compounds portent, omen, oracle, and the art of prediction to distill The Language of the Birds, a reverie upon the nature of the Goddess of Fortune and the sacred function of Chance. This second Three Hands Press edition contains a new preface to the work by Andrew Schelling, author of 'Tracks Along the Left Coast' (Counterpoint Press, 2018). (Three Hands Press Pubrisher)