“American Duende” with Tracy K. Smith

Lorca names the dark, unpredictable, often dangerous energy that art sometimes channels as Duende: “daemon, hobgoblin, keeper of the mystery, the roots fastened in the mire that we all know and all ignore.” This course will examine the duende’s presence in contemporary American poetry, including works by Langston Hughes, James Dickey, Rita Dove, and Li-Young Lee. Through writing exercises and assignments, you’ll also get the push to wrestle with your own dark forces.