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The Inverted Crow: Me Ole Battleground

by Joanne Mary McKnight

290 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-1566; ISBN 1-4120-1188-4; US$25.00, C$28.00, EUR20.50, £14.50

Fleetingly and yet ever-presently, the Phantom stands larger than life between the Crow and the Master Within, his savior. Before he can reach the master, he must first rid his inner-realm of the Phantom; before he can conquer the Phantom, a lifetime of fear, negativity and false illusions wrapped in danger and adventure must be undone; before these changes can take place, the truth of self knowledge must first set the Crow free. Bring it on!

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about the book      about the author      sample excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book The story of The Inverted Crow will inspire anyone who lacks self-confidence, feels unwanted, insufficient or in any way inadequate. Conversely, The Inverted Crow is important to self-assured individuals who wish to proactively become involved in their spiritual evolution. The story of the Crow is fiction; however, the advice that is given by ever-present seers throughout the journey is real and applicable. Screenplay writer Joseph Gunnels states, "It dips back into self-awakening again and again and again until the Crow is fully reborn. it is so deep and rich and thought-provoking and intelligent and edgy and requiring of consciousness..." Dr. Cecil Gray of Morgan State University describes the substance of The Inverted Crow as "large." The book is relative to philosophy and spirituality, African-American culture, social science and political science. Yet, The Inverted Crow is an allegorical piece of literature detailed in terms that can equally be described as poetic, lyrical and raw. On one side, individuals claim The Inverted Crow primarily for literary value - an engaging, enjoyable and delicious read. Others claim that the literature is secondary to the book's philosophical and spiritual content. Dr. Dolly Jenkins Mullen, political scientist at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, states, "This fiction work is a must-read for anyone sold on the concept of personal growth as the beginning of community development." The Inverted Crow was written to help individuals find peace within and live in peace; express God's holy love and receive it in joy; discover their reason for being; employ it to uplift the quality of life on earth; and empower all whom they meet to also experience the abundance of life.

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About the Author Jo-Anne Mary McKnight is a protege of the late Owen Dodson, writer and theatrical director from the Harlem Renaissance. She initiated her creative writing career as a playwright who specialized in musical dramas for children and adults. For over a decade prior to embarking upon the research that lead to the writing of The Inverted Crow, she wrote plays that were produced in the Washington, D.C. area in professional, university and community theaters. Currently Ms. McKnight serves as playwright, artistic director and teacher at the Young People's Theater: KAYA (KIPP Asheville youth Academy). The Inverted Crow series are her first novels. She lives with her daughter, Victoria Marie Pate, in Asheville, North Carolina. Ms. McKnight is available to dialogue with students, teach master creative writing classes, and conduct book-signings at colleges and universities, churches and conferences. you may initiate contact with her at: joannemarymcknight33@yahoo.com. Representatives of local, regional, national and international membership-based organizations involved in benevolent work to raise the quality of life on earth may also contact her for information regarding how they may use the sale of The Inverted Crow to raise money to support their cause.

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Sample Excerpts

The child did not understand why anyone would fight for possession of his universe. What's so great about it? "Am I not the one who was banished from New Sky?"

"You are the one."

"Am I not the one who agreed to kill his only Mama," the male crow caressed what was left of her cold limp body, "just to save my own ass?"

"That is what they say," responded the environment.

"Am I not the first crow to get banished by his own kind into the center of the black abyss?"

"You are the one."

"These dead bird corpses had a brighter future than I. Why would they die for the likes of me? Am I not the most wretched of any bird who has ever flown the universal sky?"

The final question hung heavily in the atmosphere. Solar Plexus refused to answer it. The young baby wept bitterly. The pain of hurt so bad aired itself completely. When all tears were spent, the child - as limp as a rung mop - laid himself down in the corner of the battlefield and drifted into a sleepless stillness.

Stillness always begets activity. The child's consciousness - in due time - sprang up and continued to search for answers. At that precise moment, one of the purple backs, a light gem of a character known as Prevailing Good, came back onto the battlefield to dispose of the carcasses. Prevailing Good was so consumed by his work that the Indwelling Self startled him when he started posing questions.

"Why did you fight for me?"

"All good is required in order to maintain the substance of life. And all of life's substance is good." Prevailing Good continued to work even as he spoke.

"But you don't even know me."

"How could I possibly live inside of you and not know you? Of course, I know you well."

"Who am I?"

"I Am, you must answer that question yourself. For no one knows you better than you."

This didn't seem true. "But how can I answer a question when I don't know I know the answer?"

"Consult with the old master, your true Self. He lives here in your internal sphere and can best answer all your questions."

"Where does he live?"

"You must find him on your own."

The baby recalled the countless number of contractions and openings that he saw along the spinal canal, each one leading to a different space within his body. This internal realm was huge. Furthermore, each and every organ seemed to have many pockets and crevasses associated with it. A master could live in this internal space forever, very much unnoticed. "Without some direction, this search could take forever," said the crow.

"All right," responded Prevailing Good "I will help point you in the right direction. The one thing here within your internal universe that stands between your consciousness and The Master Within is a shadow of a being known as the Phantom. If you are to get to The Master Within, you must cast this shadow from yourself."

"Cast the Phantom away? Ha! Before I do that, I must first catch him. No, I must first get a good look at him. How can I catch hold of a being whom I see only in a fleeting wisp of air?"

"You'll manage."

"What will getting rid of the Phantom do for me?"

"It will make you selfless."

"Being selfless will help me find The Master?"

"Being selfless will open you to The Oneness. And, in The Oneness, yes, you will come into a conscious relationship with The Master."

The boy crow recalled again the moments after his birth when he first encountered the atmosphere. He remembered his joyful quest to see this invisible trickster. "And, I saw it too!" The boy crow spoke, of course, out loud to himself. He recaptured the full delight of the magical moment when a small particle of atmosphere landed on his nose. The child was totally inspired. "Yes!" He said. "I'll do it. I will dispose of the Phantom."

"This inner world is my domain! Mine! Mine! Mine!"

There he was, the Phantom. The young male crow looked up just in time to see him streaking across the valley. The boy started toward the apparition. However, he stopped in his tracks. "Ha, Ha, Ha!" Laughter creased through the air, piercing it with a dynamic chill. The Phantom had lived up to his name and had come and gone in a flash.

A cell friend informed the boy crow that he could receive the intensified power of reason in the Spleen. All the naturally bestowed insight that the babe possessed told him that if he was going to conduct a successful phantom hunt, he must have the power of heightened reasoning. The young male crow decided to convert the freely given information into a visit to the spleen.

He started to make his way down the mountainous cliff above Solar Plexus to be advised of his future and drink his fill of reason. The child hated to leave the place where he had empathized with both friend and foe. Yet, he was somewhat glad to get away from the violent emotions that characterized "the Plexus."

When the crow arrived at the transport station, both an artery and a vein were waiting to pick up passengers. He decided to ride on the veinline simply for the experience of it. Shortly after he boarded the vein, one carbo stepped on the toes of a fellow traveler. The babe quickly learned: These hot-tempered little snots are easily pissed.

"Ouch! Man, you done lost your mind."

"I'm sorry, all right already."

"Yeah, well, you's gon lose something else in a minute."

The carbos had a raucous state of being that reminded the boy greatly of the abyss. Seemed like all of them, for miles up and down, immediately focused upon the altercation.

"Looks like a miss-take."

"Miss-takes ain't llowed around here."

"You's gon have to pay..."

Just then, a high screechy-voiced carbo who appeared to have a lot of experience grating on nerves spoke up. "I say we kill the sucker." "No," thought the boy crow, "not for stepping on a toe." But, the hot, sticky crowd liked the suggestion. A killin'!

Simply wonderful! The dancing and chanting began.

Kill the sucker.
Kill em gory dead
Kill the sucker
Knock em in de head

It was more than the child could stand. "I might have had to put up with this behavior in the Black Abyss, but I don't have to settle for it inside of MY internal realm. I forbid you to act like this here. I absolutely forbid it." A hush lay over the environment. But it didn't last long. It was quickly pierced by another voice. This one spoke around a grimy, gritty laugh. "Don't ya'll pay him no tention Ð none. Just go on with your good, wholesome fun." The carbos got real wide-eyed. The bushytailed eyes darted back and forth between the speaker and the Indwelling Self. What now? The challenger continued. "I told you. This internal realm is MY domain. And I say, I like the raucous!" There, hidden effectively and directly behind a blood clot, was the Phantom. He had a smurky, pissy little grin smeared across his flighty presence that irritated the crow no end. "A little confrontation, spiced with sweet argumentation brings a real man up to snuff," said the Phantom. "Shows him what he's really made of. Makes a man a man." The Phantom glared directly into the Indwelling Self. "Do I hear anyone say differently?"

Silence laced the air. The Indwelling Self did not seize the moment. He did not follow through with the bold heart through which he first voiced his stance. He did not take command. He wanted to defend his position, to stand up for what he knew was right for his inner world, but he just couldn't do it. The child didn't utter one mumblin' word.

This was the longest time that the youngster had ever seen the Phantom. His mind raced. He knew that it was imperative to do something. He knew that he didn't have much time. Why then, was he stuck like glue? The crow wanted to infiltrate the Phantom as a prelude to banishment, but he wasn't sure. He didn't know exactly how to get the job done.

Three long seconds passed. Slowly. Then, the Phantom did what he does best. He disappeared. The young male crow knew what it was like to face death, to see his life flash before his own eyes in moments that were assumed to be his last. But he never knew the meaning of naked vulnerability until these fleeting seconds. The image of the Phantom, so strong, willful and confident, lay plastered in the groin of his mind.

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Catalogue Information

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