It’s hard to believe that in only a month and a half I will be on the road and headed on my next adventure. I’ve only  lived in Washington for a little over a year, but it’s the longest I’ve been rooted somewhere since I was a kid. My departure is definitely bitter sweet. Along with all my academic preparations for this trip, I am also selling most of my belongings and closing up shop in this rainy city. I have no return ticket and no plans to come back.

In preparing to study duende in Spain, I’ve become aware of just how little I know about the entire country. Last month I realized that I was largely uninformed about the Civil War and Franco and after doing more research into these important historical events I’ve realized that I hardly know anything about Spanish history. After hours of research I began to feel as if I was swimming in an obese sweater; searching for a neck hole in the darkness but only finding individual threads. After a time, I began to realize that I was trying to asses the texture of an entire country while only understanding a few isolated strings. My research made me very wary of attempting to capture something as deep, personal, and as unexplored as duende while I could not even piece together basic Spanish history.

Thankfully Federico Garcia Lorca has given me a basic map by which to study duende in his book In Search of Duende. In this book Lorca says that duende in Spanish culture can most prominently be seen in music, dance, and bull fighting. In my research I will not attempt to capture what duende is in Spanish culture because I do not think I am qualified to make general assumptions about a country whose basic history continues to evade me. Instead, I will focus on personal and cultural interpretations of duende and the ways in which the spirit of duende is evoked within myself.

Below I have listed a tentative list of weekly activities for Spring quarter. I realize that new opportunities may arise and that my schedule may change so I have tried to keep my plans relatively general to account for this. The most important text of my study will be In Search of Duende, as most of the other books about duende are really just about Lorca’s book. I will be speaking to Terry Setter (an Evergreen professor with experience in flamenco) later this week who will help me compile a final reading list and advise me in the most effective ways to approach my flamenco music and dance studies. I will add to and edit this calendar accordingly.

Throughout my entire study I will be reading poems from Desolation of Chimera by Luis Cernuda so I have not included it in my weekly schedules.

Week 1- March 30th-April 3

Class on the Evergreen campus –In Search of Duende by Federico Garcia Lorca

Week 2 – April 6-April 10

Class on the Evergreen campus – In Search of Duende by Federico Garcia Lorca

Week 3 – April 13-April 17

On April 10th I will begin driving to Colorado to visit with family before I depart to Sevilla on the 17th.

This week I will read DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Seville and Andalusia which contains a large amount of history and important information on architecture and art. I will also watch The Sea Inside and Pan’s Labyrinth to expand my knowledge of Spanish film and culture. 

Week 4 – April 20-April 24

By some bizarre coincidence I will be arriving in Sevilla right as it’s most beloved festival is about to begin. The Feria de Abril is one of the most important cultural events in Spain and it contains pieces of every single componentthat create the soul of the country.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to study the heart of Spain in all it’s individual pieces while being able to view how they all interact as a whole. During this week I will be watching traditional dance (primarily flamenco), I will be interacting with live artists, listening to traditional and modern music, looking at traditional clothing, and learning about Spanish culture and traditions.

I will begin reading The Art of Flamenco to enhance my knowledge of flamenco. To document my experiences I will be taking photographs and videos, sketching, and writing about my discoveries. I will be talking to locals and drawing upon my knowledge from Federico Garcia Lorca’s book, In Search of Duende. 

Week 5 – April 27-May 1

During this week I will be taking cante jondo (deep song) classes and attending locally recommended shows as well as tourist shows to compare the depth of experience. I will be focusing on the singers and will hopefully be able to interview some of them about their experience of duende.

I will finish reading The Art of Flamenco and begin reading Carmen by Prosper Merimee.  I will document my experiences with writing, photos, videos, and sketches.

Week 6 – May 4-May 8

This week I will focus on flamenco dancing and music. I will be taking flamenco dance classes going to flamenco shows. I will be focusing on the different ways in which duende is experienced and perceived through dance, song, and music.

I will read Carmen by Prosper Merimee and document my experiences with photos, sketches, and writing.

Week 7 – May 11-May 15

During this week I will be investigating the historical and spritual aspects of bull fighting. Bull fighting is a important traditional activity in Spain and is anessential part of studying duende.

For my research I will begin reading Death in the Afternoonby Ernest Hemingway and will be going to at least one bullfight at Plaza de toros en la Real Maestranza. To document my research I will be drawing from Death in the Afternoon, In Search of Duende and from my own experiences at a bullfight to write reflective essaysand poetry. I will also be sketching and taking photos. Finish Death in the Afternoon.

Week 8 – May 18-May 22

This week I will finish studying bull fighting which will include finishing Death in the Afternoon and going to another bull fight if needed.

During this week I will focus on tying together my experiences with flamenco and bullfighting into a more comprehensive analysis of duende in Spanish culture. To do this, I will draw upon the sketches, photos, videos, interviews, writing that I have documented/created in the past 6 weeks.

Week 9 – May 25-May 29

Final Presentations

Week 10 – June 1-June 5

Evaluation Week