I got this crazy idea of writing a non-specialist book on Lorca. I would call it something like "six lectures on Lorca." The idea would be to sit down and explain everything I know, but in 6 hour long presentations. The idea would be to follow the model of the speaker invited to give a series of lectures someplace, rather than just the standard one lecture. I would write exactly 36,000 words.
We think of the lecture as a boring format, but that was Lorca's own format (not the written essay). Though, of course, he wrote them.
Since I've given lectures on Lorca, the idea would be to write some more and revise some I've already given and create a coherent shape to it.
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A particularly idiotic person came up to me during the conference and said, "yes, now can we transmit the duende to Americans in translation; it is impossible." But, of course, I had said the opposite, that communicating about Lorca is just as difficult in Spain itself. There are idiotic Spaniards (like this guy) just as there are idiots in the US. My idea would be a little bit like: "Lorca for non-idiots."
1 comment:
This doesn't sound crazy to me at all. It's a great idea and everyone who knows something should undertake a project like this. It may not always produce something publishable (or not publishable in a book) but it's got to be good for both your mind and your style.
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