In Search of Duende

This little book evolved from Lorca's lifelong quest in pursuit of truth and beauty, both on a mystical plane and in reality. A concept that first crystallized as a lecture to preserve a traditional form of flamenco music came to define Lorca's artistic philosophy, a philosophy that can be extended to all art forms. Duende is like soul. James Brown's music has duende, for example. So does the music of Mozart and Emmylou Harris, as well as the writing of Khaled Hosseini and the art of Picasso. Today, as in Lorca's time, much popular culture does not have it. As a poet, Lorca was uniquely situated to understand and describe duende. Using his own poems, as well as verses from the folk music he fought to keep alive, Lorca passionately implores his audience to appreciate the importance of duende. Grasping the meaning of duende is far from a dry academic exercise. Lorca's lectures and essays provide a framework for appreciating and perhaps even making great art. Highly recommended for anyone aspiring to create.

For an actor to perform any of Lorca's plays you really need to understand the author. This book is a good start.

This is the one book which I believe all artists should read - I have the challenge of teaching my classmates to understand how to find Duende soon so I know this is a great resource.

Lorca's essay, "the Play and Theory of the Duende", should be required reading for artists in any field. A life-changing concept, rendered beautifully in poetic prose.