Dark Angels Note 167

Dearest Friends

Welcome back to our Friday Note – our weekly collection of writerly thoughts. 

Observing

This week marks the birthday of Betti Alver (23 November 1906 – 19 June 1989).Elisabet “Betti” Alver is one of Estonia’s most significant poets and was a member of the Arbujad, (sorcerers or soothsayers), a group of eight Estonian poets.

Her writing career started with novels, publishing her first short story Poor Little Thing in 1927, then her first poem, The Tale of a White Crow in 1931. Her work is “said to contain a passionate joy of life and soulful strength, and finds the point of living.”

She retreated from the literary spotlight in protest at the Soviet occupation, turning to translation work instead, before returning as a poet in the 60s with new interest in Estonian folk traditions and language. 

Reading

According to the Estonian Literature Centre, Estonians are all introverts who talk to the trees and dream about becoming writers.

Read a brief Introduction to Estonian Literature from the Estonian Literature Centre. 

Writing

Go for a walk and find a tree to talk to. Listen to it and translate what it says into a piece of writing.

Photo by Aliis Sinisalu on Unsplash