Dearest friends,Welcome back to our writerly thoughts to distract, inspire and reassure you. Be well, keep reading, keep writing and know that we’re always here.. 1 Writing“If you’re like me, you may have a tendency to skim over historical passages,” writes the Oglala Lakota poet, Layli Long Soldier, in this Literary Hub essay. “I don’t know why I do this and I don’t like my habit. But I ask you, warmly, to return to accounts from our Lakota ancestors, quoted previously. Take your time. Because, in their words, you may sense an old, yet very present energy.”Think about an historical event connected to your personal history. Consider the different perspectives and biases that might occur and allow for gaps, contradictions and memories to seep in. Use your instincts to draw connections between the past, present and yourself. 2 ReadingObligations 1               Obligations 2                Layli Long SoldierFrom New Poets of Native Nations. Copyright © 2018 3 WorkshoppingFoundation CourseThis autumn we’re very excited to be running the four-week online version of our acclaimed Foundation Course for the second time. The course is limited to eight places and will be led by Neil Baker and Jamie Jauncey, with spot visits by guest tutors from the Dark Angels family.Two-hour sessions, twice a week, for one monthEach Monday & Thursday, 7 September to 4 October UK 5.00-7.00pmUS East Coast 12.00-2.00pmUS West Coast 9.00am-11.00pmFee: £795, €895, $1095Limited to eight placesInterested? Drop Susanne an email to save your seat. 4 GatheringWe’ve paused our Tuesday night gatherings for the summer months. Many thanks to all of you who’ve taken part over the last year. We’ll be back on September 7. Same time (7pm-8pm in the UK), but a new Zoom link.  5 CorrespondingWe’re taking a break during August, so no weekly notes until September. We hope you’ve enjoyed the variety of exercises and reading material this year. We’ll be back in September with a slightly different format, but same Dark Angels connection.From everyone at Dark Angels