Federico+Garcia+Lorca

=Federico Garcia Lorca=

Federico Garcia Lorca was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. He was born in 1898 a few miles outside of Granada. His father was a farmer and made a good deal of money in the sugar industry. Federico's mother was a pianist and a teacher.

As a young man, Federico moved to Granada, his first time living in a city. Later in life, in his writing, he praised his childhood and talked a lot about growing up in the country, close to nature. As he grew, Lorca studied music and theatre, as well as becoming interested in writing. Eventually he wound up at a creative arts college where he was able to collaborate with other artistic minds, learning from poets and playwrights and befriending other creative thinking students like Salvador Dali.

A special part of who Federico Garcia Lorca was was the outgoing and gentle personality he had. He made friends easily and took great pleasure in entertaining and teaching others. Many of his poems were written for children and were set to music. Many of his poems and songs are still enjoyed by Spanish children today.

His first book, a book of poems about religion and nature, was published in 1921. In 1928, his best known book of poetry, //Gypsy Ballads//, was released. //Gypsy Ballads// were poetic versions of the folktales and stories told by the people of the Spanish countryside. Lorca wrote and produced a play, collaborating with Dali, in 1927, and the two artists became very close friends.

Lorca left Spain to visit the U.S. for a few years and returned just in time for the fall of Primo de Rivera's dictatorship and the return of the Spanish Republic. He continued to publish poetry and work in theatre, even becoming the director of a university theatre company. During this time period, Federico became increasingly outspoken about theatre, literature, art, and his views of the world.

In 1936, just a few days before the Spanish Civil War broke out, Federico was headed to Granada to visit family. War was brewing and the things became very tense in Spain. It was clear that the "right wing conservatives" were about to start something, and Federico knew that his outspoken political views may be trouble for him. On August 18, 1936, Federico's brother-in-law, who was a leftist and the mayor of Granada, was shot. Federico was arrested by the right wingers that afternoon.

He was shot and killed. There is some debate over where and when Federico Garcia Lorca was assassinated, but the biggest question remains why. Some believe it was political, others think it was personal - that perhaps the fact that he was homosexual played a part in his death. Some believe it was because he was popular and outspoken, so eliminating potential leaders of a leftist movement was the motivation.

No matter the reason, Spain lost a gifted young artist that day - a man who had a passion for life, literature, the theatre, and teaching and sharing these things with others.