Dark Angels Note 134
Dearest Friends—
Welcome back to our weekly Friday Note.
Observing
This week marks the birthday of Jules Verne (February 8, 1828 – March 24, 1905). Verne was a French playwright, poet and novelist famous for his Voyages extraordinaires, a series of science fiction novels that includes Around the world in 80 days, Journey to the centre of the Earth, and Twenty thousand leagues under the sea. The first in the series, Five weeks in a balloon, was originally serialised in Le Magasin d’éducation et de récréation before becoming an international bestseller. This “father of science fiction” is just behind Agatha Christie in the world’s top three most-translated writers and many of his books have been made into films.
Watching
Le voyage dans la lune by Georges Méliès was influenced by Verne’s novel De la terre à la lune and is considered the first science fiction film and an important work in cinematic history. So important, in fact, that Thomas A. Edison made a fortune from secretly copying the film and showing it across America, leaving Méliès penniless. Watch the 13-minute silent movie, Le voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon.)
Writing
Imagine that the above short film had a renaissance. Try writing a brief blurb to describe the film to a modern audience.
Sharing
Neil Baker has a few copies of "Out of Winter” still available. This little concertina booklet collects 33 illustrated haiku that he made as part of a daily walking and writing practice.You can grab a copy here. Keep sending us your poems, writings, links and writerly whatnots that you’d like to share with the wider Dark Angels family.
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Diary
Hearts, Inspired, 16-21 June 2023
Join us for a 5-day writing retreat on Whidbey Island, in the US Pacific Northwest. We’ll explore writing, creativity and inspiration through guided writing, personal projects and time in nature.Find out more here.
Words Are Seeds, 19-23 June 2023
Five days of writing, rituals and nature connection at Bore Place over the summer solstice. We’re expecting a lively, stimulating and playful experience, with plenty of time for individual pondering, wondering and wandering – and writing. Find out more here.
Weekly Tuesday Gatherings
Join us for a reflective hour of reading, writing and communing led by Neil Baker. Everyone is welcome; in fact, invite a friend along. We meet at 7pm UK time. To join us, click here on the night. There’s no need to register in advance and we’ll be using the same link every week from now on. Be well, keep reading, keep writing and know that we’re always here.
From everyone at Dark Angels
Photo by NASA on Unsplash