Duende

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Quincy Troupe writes poetry in great waves, where words serve as notes and the music created with them is paramount. He is not merely a wordsmith but a shaman conjuring long, repetitive lines that reflect on the sea towards Africa, haunted by slavery and racism's legacy. His work celebrates fellow poets and artists while expressing a deep longing to reconnect with the past and a desire to break free from it. In "Ghost Voices," an incantatory fifty-page poem, this yearning is palpable. The title poem, "Duende: For García Lorca and Miles Davis," reveals Troupe's credo: "...secrets, mystery infused in black magic / that enters bodies in forms of music, art / poetry imbuing language with sovereignty / in blood spooling back through violent centuries..." The version of "Avalanche (number 3)" included here differs from its earlier iteration, much like a jazz artist reinterpreting a familiar tune. Troupe's generous spirit shines through in this expansive collection, featuring new poems alongside selections from his eleven previous volumes. His work maintains a remarkable energy, as he engages with the present while also perceiving distant storms on the horizon—challenges we will soon need to confront.