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Tailoring Hospital Education Materials for The Period of PURPLE Crying:Keeping Babies Safe in North Carolina Media CampaignHeidi J. Hennink-Kaminski; Elizabeth K. Dougall
Online publication date: 18 November 2009
To cite this Article Hennink-Kaminski, Heidi J. and Dougall, Elizabeth K.(2009) 'Tailoring Hospital Education Materials forThe Period of PURPLE Crying: Keeping Babies Safe in North Carolina Media Campaign', Social Marketing Quarterly, 15:4, 49 — 64To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/15245000903348772URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15245000903348772
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Tailoring Hospital EducationMaterials for The Period ofPURPLE Crying: KeepingBabies Safe in North CarolinaMedia CampaignBY HEIDI J. HENNINK-KAMINSKI AND ELIZABETH K. DOUGALL
ABSTRACT
The social marketing approach recognizes the need to tailor message and channel
strategies to effectively reach the full range of individuals whomust act or exert influ-
ence to bring about knowledge, belief, and behavior change. However, repurposing
health education materials for additional target audiences and communication chan-
nels may at times be rationalized as a necessary response to budgetary constraints.
Furthermore, when the materials in question are the outcome of rigorous testing,
the experts involved may be reluctant to accept the need for tailoring those materials.
This study demonstrates how a rigorously designed and tested shaken baby syn-
drome prevention program comprising a 10-minute DVD and an 11-page brochure
delivered in-hospital to parents of newborns by specially trained health care workers
was adapted for a media campaign targeting additional audiences and channels.
Focus group research determined which messages and images from The Period of
PURPLE CryingDVD and brochure were most salient. Participants were surprised
to learn about the normalcy of prolonged infant crying, embraced the PURPLE
label, and were keen to share this new knowledge. The volume and quality of advice
new parents receive emerged as important. Two campaign concepts, including key
messages and visuals, were tested using focus groups and intercept interviews. The
normalcy of infant crying as a developmental stage rather than an indication of
caregiver incompetence or an unhealthy child resonated with respondents and was
adopted for the campaign. This approach underscores the value of tailoring and
message testing to provide evidence-based guidance for media campaign decisions.
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Introduction
Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is the leading cause of serious head injury and
death in children ages 2 and younger in the United States (Keenan et al.,
2003). Caused by violent shaking, sometimes combined with impact on a
hard surface, SBS is also known as abusive head trauma. Shaking results
in head trauma, retinal hemorrhages, and rib fractures, often with little
or no evidence of external injury. About 20% to 25% of SBS victims die
(Keenan et al., 2003; King, MacKay, Sirnick, & Canadian Shaken Baby
Study Group, 2003). Of those who survive, 80% have significant, life-long
brain injuries (King et al., 2003). The costs associated with the care for vic-
tims of SBS are therefore substantial (Corso & Lutzker, 2006; Dias et al.,
2005).
Current medical research confirms the central role of infant crying in
triggering shaking by caregivers; anecdotally, inconsolable crying is the
most common explanation given by abusers (Barr, Trent, & Cross, 2006;
Lee, Barr, Catherine, & Wicks, 2007). A multiagency leadership team
from the University of North Carolina, the Center for Child & Family
Health, National Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome, and the University of
British Columbia is implementing and evaluating an SBS-prevention pro-
gram across the state of North Carolina using the social marketing
approach. The goal is to reduce the number of children hospitalized or dying
from SBS in North Carolina by at least 50% over the next 5 years. Under-
pinning this program is The Period of PURPLE Crying curricula developed by
the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome to educate parents about
normal infant crying patterns, safe caregiving strategies, and the dangers
of shaking.
The hypothesis underpinning this program is that achieving a wider under-
standing of the normalcy of early infant crying and its role as a trigger for shaking
will bring about a sustainable reduction in SBS. Launched in 2007, The Period of
PURPLE Crying: Keeping Babies Safe in North Carolina initiative comprises three
phases: in-hospital education for parents of every newborn at all 86 hospitals and
birthing centers in North Carolina; reinforcement in community settings such as
prenatal visits to health departments or well-care visits to primary care providers;
and a media campaign.
The Period of PURPLE Crying (PURPLE) parent education materials include
a 10-minute DVD and an 11-page companion booklet that address the risk of
shaking through understanding early infant crying (Figure 1). These materials
were comprehensively tested and refined with parents of newborns in the United
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States and Canada. This research demonstrated that the PURPLE DVD and
11-page companion booklet are:
& Educational and attractive to parents of newborns.
& Contain clear, memorable, salient, meaningful, attractive, and positive messages.
& Acceptable to relevant health workers.
& Affordable and easy for parents to share with all who may be caring for their child
(Barr, Barr, et al., 2009; Barr, Rivera, et al., 2009).
The social marketing process consists of six major steps or tasks: initial plan-
ning, formative research, strategy development, program development and
pretesting, implementation, and evaluation (Grier & Bryant, 2005). This article
focuses on program development and pretesting of materials for the media
campaign component of the North Carolina-SBS prevention program, the goals
FIGURE 1
In-Hospital Education Materials
Original in color.
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of which are to reinforce the PURPLE message among parents and raise
awareness of The Period of PURPLE Crying among friends and family members
who also serve as caregivers or provide emotional support to parents of newborns.
Specifically, the article discusses each step in the development of the media
campaign including:
& Concept testing with nonparent audiences of the PURPLE DVD and booklet.
& Media campaign concept development and message testing.
& Concept refinement and final message testing.
& Corresponding research findings.
Program Development: The Media Campaign
Reducing the incidence of SBS among infants in North Carolina will require
more than the prevention of infant shaking by parents. Peers, family members,
neighbors, and health care providers are just some of the people who play impor-
tant roles as key influencers in the lives of infant caregivers. The social marketing
approach explicitly recognizes the need to identify and reach the full range of
individuals who must act or exert influence to bring about knowledge, belief,
and behavior change (Kotler & Lee, 2008). Additional promotional tools for
these audiences needed to be created and tested for the media campaign for
two reasons.
First, the PURPLE DVD and booklet were developed and tested solely
with parent audiences in Vancouver and Seattle. As part of the initial planning
for The Period of PURPLE Crying: Saving Babies in North Carolina
intervention, the PURPLE DVD and booklet also were tested in focus groups
with parents in North Carolina (Runyan et al., 2009=this issue). However,
little was known about how nonparental caregivers, peers, and family members
would respond to key PURPLE messages. Creating infant crying messages
that will be salient to nonparent as well as parent audiences is a challenge
but also essential to influencing knowledge and beliefs about infant crying
and shaking behavior.
Second, advertising messages must be more concise than the 10-minute
DVD and 11-page booklet used during in-hospital education. Translating this
information into a format that can quickly capture attention and break through
the clutter of other media messages is essential. Thus, tailoring the existing PUR-
PLE messages for use with other target audiences in a new format was necessary
to accomplish the goals of the program.
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Concept Testing of PURPLE with Nonparent Audiences
The process began with testing the existing PURPLE in-hospital education
materials (DVD and booklet) with nonparent caregivers and the friends and
family of parents of newborns. Focus groups were conducted to guide the devel-
opment of media campaign concepts which would be further tested. This study
posed the following questions:
RQ1: What key message(s) do participants take away from the PURPLE DVD and
booklet?
RQ2: What content do participants find to be most surprising?
RQ3: With what content do participants most identify?
RQ4: What content do participants believe to be most important to share with caregivers
of infants?
RQ5: What do participants see as potential barriers to believing, adopting, and sharing
the PURPLE message with others?
Method
Participants
Participants were recruited based on four criteria: age (18þ), gender, geo-
graphic location, and current role as full-time caregiver (e.g., nannies and
day care employees) or occasional caregiver (e.g., babysitter, friend, family
member) to infants or young children under the age of 5 years. To focus on
participant responses from a caregiver’s perspective, those who reported having
a child under the age of 2 living in their own home were ineligible. Parti-
cipants were recruited with the assistance of pediatrician offices, local YMCA
chapters, and notices posted to craigslist.com. Participants received a $50 gift
card to participate.
Ten focus groups were conducted across North Carolina in six different
locations to capture the richness and diversity of the state: Asheville, Charlotte,
Durham, Fayetteville, Goldsboro, and Winston-Salem. One focus group was
male-only, two focus groups were comprised of both males and females, and
seven focus groups were female-only. Focus groups ranged in size from 6 to 10
participants, with a total of 84 North Carolina residents participating.
Interview format and protocol
A focus group guide was developed following the guidelines for a semistructured
interview as outlined by Kvale (1996). This format allows the researcher to
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uncover specific information about key topics while still providing opportunities
for other relevant content to emerge and for participants to explain and discuss
their responses. Topics explored in the focus groups included participants’ general
perceptions of infant crying, impressions of the PURPLE brochure and DVD,
and media usage habits.
Pilot study
Pilot studies are an important component of the qualitative research process
because they help to determine whether the interview protocol will uncover
the desired information (Lindlof & Taylor, 2002; Mariampolski, 2001).
Prototype testing of an initial draft of the protocol revealed several opportunities
for improvement. Minor adjustments were made to the wording and order of
questions based on these insights.
Analysis
All ten focus groups were tape-recorded and professionally transcribed. Tran-
scripts were then analyzed using the constant comparative method, also known
as grounded theory (Charmaz, 2007; Glaser & Strauss, 1967). This approach is
used to identify patterns or trends in the data and to discover relationships
between ideas or concepts. All transcript review, coding, and data reduction were
performed by the authors.
Results
Overwhelmingly, focus group participants embraced the PURPLE messages as
important and clear. Many responded positively to being able to recognize the
period of inconsolable infant crying as a normal developmental stage and to be
able to give that period a label (Figure 2). Furthermore, participants expressed
relief at discovering that the inability to soothe an infant during this period
was not an indication of inept caregiving or an unhealthy child. Knowing that this
period would end in a few months time was also important.
Most surprising
Communication research has established that surprising information is often a
successful strategy for capturing attention (e.g., Belch & Belch, 2009). Unlike
in-hospital education with a captive parent audience, the media campaign will
need to attract the attention of audiences for whom crying information may
not be immediately salient. Although a few participants continued to doubt that
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someone would actually shake a baby, particularly his or her own child, the
balance of participants identified the following content as most surprising:
& It is normal for all infants to cry more between 2 weeks and 4 months of age.
& There may be nothing physically wrong with a baby who cries that much.
& You’re not a bad parent or caregiver if you can’t calm your baby.
& Shaken baby syndrome has consequences other than death (e.g., blindness, learning
disabilities) and that children can die years later from being shaken as an infant.
& It’s okay to walk away from a crying infant to calm yourself down.
Most emotionally touching
The ability to identify emotionally with human models or sources is also a com-
mon creative strategy used to capture attention and connect with the target audi-
ence (Belch & Belch, 2009). Participants identified four things that most tugged
at their heartstrings:
1. The feelings of guilt, helplessness, and failure experienced by parents and caregivers
when unable to soothe an infant.
2. The facial expressions of the crying babies and frustrated parents.
3. The sounds of an inconsolable crying infant.
FIGURE 2
PURPLE Acronym
Original in color.
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4. Stories of parents whose children died of SBS and how death destroys the life of the
parent, as well as that of the child.
In some cases these responses were empathetic, as participants recounted
their own experiences with crying infants. In other cases, participants shared
stories they had heard from friends or family members who had experienced
frustration with infant crying.
Most important for caregivers to know
Achieving the objectives of the 5-year prevention program will require more than
just capturing attention. The creative strategy must convey the most critical infor-
mation. Participants identified the following as the most important for caregivers
to know:
& All babies cry more between 2 weeks and 4 months of age.
& This period of increased infant crying will end.
& Parents and caregivers should expect to get frustrated during this period and should
plan ahead for how to seek relief.
& Action steps (carry, comfort, walk, and talk), particularly the last step of putting the
baby in a safe place and taking a break.
Potential barriers
Equally important was the identification of important obstacles to sharing the
PURPLE messages with others, including cynicism of those who have no personal
experience of inconsolable crying, fear of being judged as inadequate parents, con-
cern about scaring away caregivers, failing to recognize the action of taking a break
is acceptable, and resistance to taking and giving advice. Following are the key
themes that emerged from the analysis.
According to participants, parents and=or caregivers may be reluctant to ask
for help or advice because they fear that others will question their parenting
or caregiving abilities. This fear can hinder opportunities for others to share
PURPLE messages and=or ask for support.
I feel like people are a bit hesitant to tell other people about the issues they may have
with their kid’s [crying] because they might be scared it makes them look bad, like
they’re not doing enough. (Female, Asheville, NC)
Although participants noted the importance of parents being upfront with
caregivers about the specific crying patterns of the child to better prepare the care-
giver, they also noted that this may scare away caregivers.
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I think [preparing caregivers] might be hard for some people. Nobody wants to be like,
‘‘Thank you for watching my child for a couple of hours and just so you know, they are
going to scream the entire time.’’ (Female, Asheville, NC)
Participants noted that it may be more difficult for caregivers than parents to
walk away and leave the baby in a safe place.
I would feel horrible if the parent comes home, the baby is screaming, and I’m reading
a magazine. I’d feel bad because I’m getting paid to care for that baby. It feels weird
saying you’re caring for a baby when you’re doing something else that has nothing to do
with the baby. (Female, Winston-Salem, NC)
The fact that you can walk away and calm yourself down and come back to the situ-
ation [surprised me]. That’s like, ‘‘Whoa,’’ because in childcare they don’t normally
expect you to walk away from a child. They expect you to coddle that child. Hold
it. If it’s crying, go get it. Feed it. Do something. (Female, Fayetteville, NC)
Although word-of-mouth from family and friends was noted by many
participants as an important communication channel, participants in many of
the sessions talked about resenting caregiving advice, particularly from family
members. At the same time, participants often shared stories about the most
ridiculous advice they had received, prompting laughter and the exchange of
additional stories.
In sum, three key insights emerged from the focus groups: normalcy, advice,
and the importance of storytelling.
1. Normalcy. Parents and caregivers should experience increased infant crying between 2
weeks and 5 months of age. While caregivers should attempt to soothe the child, such
efforts may not eliminate the crying. This does not mean that there is something
wrong with the baby, nor does it imply that the caregiver is doing something wrong.
It’s just a normal stage of development.
2. Advice. The volume and usefulness of advice new parents receive emerged as an impor-
tant issue. Virtually all participants shared examples of ridiculous advice. Although
participants bemoaned friends’ and family member’s insistence on giving advice, part-
icipants still found the humor in it. Interestingly, this theme also arose in the parent
focus groups for the PURPLE DVD and booklet (Barr, Barr et al., 2009; Barr, Rivera
et al., 2009). As a result, the giving of advice on how to quiet a crying infant was a
common thread among parents and other caregivers, providing a universal point of
entry for a message strategy.
3. Storytelling. Storytelling is important. Real people with lived experiences make the
connection with people, not the scientific information about crying itself. Participants
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across all focus groups identified with the stories of the parents on the DVD and in
the booklet.
Development and Testing of ‘‘Advice’’ and ‘‘Normal’’ Concepts
The professional services of CAPSTRAT, a Raleigh-based strategic communication
firm, were secured to assist with the development of creative concepts. In response
to the focus group findings, five broad creative approaches were developed and pre-
sented to themembers of the leadership team. From those discussions, two campaign
concepts emerged: ‘‘Advice’’ and ‘‘Normal.’’ Both the ‘‘Advice’’ and ‘‘Normal’’ con-
cepts included a story-telling component. ‘‘Advice’’ ads took a testimonial approach,
including a photo and quote from a real parent in North Carolina (Figure 3). The
‘‘Advice’’ concept leveraged parent and caregiver experiences with unsolicited advice
and used humor to capture attention and engage the target audience. Conversely,
attention and emotional connection with the target audience were achieved in
the ‘‘Normal’’ concept through dramatic images of caregivers frustrated with crying
infants. Copy points for both concepts addressed the normalcy of infant crying, as
well as the link between crying and shaking and the dangers of shaking.
Three print ads, a storyboard, and a website home page for each concept were
developed for testing. Each concept included one print ad that featured a female
caregiver, one print ad that featured a male caregiver, and one ad located in a pub-
lic setting in which a stranger is reacting to the infant’s crying. All concept ads
used stock photography, imposing some unavoidable limitations on infant age,
caregiver characteristics, and venue.
Method
A multimethod approach was used to test the two campaign concepts: ‘‘Normal’’
and ‘‘Advice.’’ Focus groups were conducted to probe for and capture rich, reflec-
tive responses. Individual intercept interviews were conducted to elicit responses
within a context similar to that in which advertisements would typically be
encountered and processed. Messages were evaluated as to whether participants
understood the main message, thought it was relevant, trusted the source, and
were not confused or offended. The messages were also expected to be attractive,
readable, informative, and compelling emotionally (McCormack Brown,
Lindenberger, & Bryant, 2008).
Focus groups
Participants were recruited based on age (18þ), sex, geographic location, and their
role as a caregiver to young children. These parameters yielded participants who
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were parents, full-time caregivers (nannies and day care employees), and
occasional caregivers (babysitters, friends, and family members). Three focus
groups were conducted in North Carolina in two separate locations: Durham
and Goldsboro. One focus group was male-only and two focus groups were
female-only. Focus groups ranged in size from 8 to 10 participants, yielding a
total of 27 participants. Participants in each focus group were shown both cam-
paign concepts, and presentation order was rotated to avoid bias. Participants
received a $50 gift card to participate.
FIGURE 3
‘‘Advice’’ Print Ad Concept
Original in color.
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Intercepts
Intercept interviews were conducted with 60 participants at YMCA and family
health clinics in Goldsboro, Durham, and Raleigh. Forty-four participants were
shown both campaigns and the presentation order was rotated. As a cross-check,
8 additional participants were shown just one campaign to rule out testing effects.
Results
The ‘‘Normal’’ campaign was preferred overwhelmingly by participants in two of
the three focus groups and by 65% of the intercept participants. These parti-
cipants embraced the direct and self-explanatory nature of the message and con-
nected with the emotional duress of trying to soothe a crying infant. Participants
also raised several concerns to be addressed during concept refinement:
& A sense of hopelessness that may be demotivating.
& The use of small-font body copy reminiscent of ‘‘cigarette warning labels’’ that
discourage full reading of the text.
& The potential misinterpretation that all crying is normal when, in reality, some crying
may be an indication of illness or extreme discomfort.
& Lack of visual connection between the question (Is this normal?) and the answering
‘‘Yes.’’
Although most participants noted the attractiveness and eye-catching nature
of the bright colors and large speech bubbles in the ‘‘Advice’’ campaign, the humor
did not translate. Most participants interpreted the hyperbolic advice as the impor-
tant take-away message, rather than a humorous approach to attract attention and
engage the audience. As a result, they often cited the ‘‘advice’’ in the ad as the new
information learned. Furthermore, participants often did not read past the speech
bubble and quotation, likely contributing to low recall of the key messages.
Concept Refinement and Final Message Testing for ‘‘Normal’’
The ‘‘Normal’’ campaign, which positions infant crying as a normal developmen-
tal stage rather than an indication of caregiver incompetence or an unhealthy
child, was selected and refined based on participant feedback. Criteria for
model-casting was established: a multiracial looking mother; a child within the
appropriate age range; and preferably a real-life mother=child pairing. Two
mother=child model teams were identified as meeting the criteria and photos
were circulated for review and comment by the leadership team. A mother=child
child team was selected and scheduled for the photo shoot.
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Ad copy was refined to address the concerns raised in the message testing. To
address the concern that all infant crying is not normal, but rather could be
attributable to sickness, an asterisk and instructions for parents to see a doctor
if concerned were added to the bottom of the advertisement. A brighter color
palette was used during the photo shoot to create a visual sense of hopefulness
and the body copy was increased by several point sizes to improve readability.
The ‘‘Is this normal’’ question mark was placed upon a darker portion of the ad
to achieve better prominence and stimulate a tighter connection to the ‘‘Yes’’
response (see Figure 4 for the final version of the print ad).
FIGURE 4
Final ‘‘Normal’’ Print Ad
Original in color.
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Twenty individual intercept interviews were conducted at grocery stores
in Durham and Pittsboro to test the revised ‘‘Normal’’ print ad using the same
criteria as the previous round of intercepts: comprehension, attractiveness, rel-
evancy, believability, acceptability, persuasiveness, and usefulness. Participants
included 10 males and 10 females between the ages of 18 and 44. Responses
indicated significant improvement in the areas of concern identified in the
concept testing.
The ‘‘normal’’ print ad now serves as the starting point for developing materi-
als for additional media channels. The artwork is prominently featured on the
home page of the www.purplecryingnc.info website and will be incorporated into
a number of social media initiatives. Further, the body copy from the ad has been
adapted for a 60-second radio spot. The media campaign is scheduled to launch
across North Carolina in Fall 2009 and may be adapted further for other markets
outside of North Carolina.
Conclusion
To bring about a reduction in SBS, The Period of PURPLE Crying: Keeping Babies
Safe in North Carolina prevention program must effectively reach beyond the hos-
pitals to touch the full range of individuals whose actions and influence matter.
This formative research was necessary to guide the tailoring of PURPLE mes-
sages for a media campaign to reach both parent and nonparent audiences.
One of the strengths of social marketing is its emphasis on audience segmen-
tation, tailoring, and message testing. In an increasingly fragmented media
environment and amid unprecedented budget cuts, it is more important than ever
that health communication messages, products, and distribution decisions be
grounded in appropriately designed research.
About the Authors
Heidi J. Hennink-Kaminski, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the School
of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill. Hennink-Kaminski’s research focuses on social marketing and
health communication. Prior to transitioning to academia, Hennink-Kaminski
accumulated 15 years of professional experience in senior marketing communica-
tions roles in both corporate and agency positions. She has written book chapters
on telecommunications marketing and transnational advertising and most
recently published in the Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, Jour-
nalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Journalism and Mass Communication
Educator, and Proceedings of the American Academy of Advertising.
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Elizabeth K. Dougall, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the School of Journal-
ism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill. Dougall’s research applies the longitudinal analysis of media coverage to
describe the increasingly complex public opinion environment comprising issues,
organizations, influencers, and activists. Her 20-plus-year career includes exten-
sive professional experience in strategic communication management and coun-
seling. Dougall’s research has most recently been published in Journalism and
Mass Communication Quarterly, Newspaper Research Journal, International Journal
of Strategic Communication and Public Relations Review.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the efforts of Lindsey Bennett, vice presi-
dent and associate creative director at CAPSTRAT, a Raleigh-based strategic
communication firm. The authors are grateful for the assistance of several gradu-
ate research assistants in conducting this research: Greg Efthimiou, Sarah
Whitmarsh, Courtney Woo, and Erica Yamauchi. Members of the North
Carolina and National Leadership Teams provided invaluable direction through-
out the entire process. This research was funded in part by grants from the
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Duke Endowment, and the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
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THE PERIOD OF PURPLE CRYING
64 SMQ | Volume XV | No. 4 | Winter 2009
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