239990 Brazilian Literature: Contos and Crônicas (S) (SoSe 2013)

Many Brazilian authors have made their reputation at home and abroad through short prose pieces, including both the conto (short story) and also a form peculiar to Latin America known in Brazil as a “crônica.” The latter form does not admit of an easy definition, but combines elements of the anecdote, essay, and prose poem to create an improvisational meditation out of a single, usually trivial incident witnessed or otherwise known by the writer. One reason for the emphasis placed by writers on these short forms has to do with the preference of Brazilian readers for periodical reading over the purchase of books, and the fact that many Brazilian writers – most notably, Machado de Assis, who virtually founded both types of prose – earned their livings as journalists. These practical considerations exist in tension with the relative prestige of literary form in Brazil, with a strong preference for poetry and the novel.
In any case, these short forms will allow us to explore a wide range of authors, themes, and settings within the short space of a seminar. The brevity of the texts will also allow students studying the language to practice their Portuguese on a few items, which will otherwise be read in English or German (English translations are cited below).
Conto:
Oxford anthology of the Brazilian short story. Author Jackson, Kenneth David. Oxford University Press, 2006.
Authors to be read: Machado de Assis, Lima Barreto, Carmen Dolores, Mário de Andrade, Rachel de Queiroz, Lygia Fagundes Telles, Clarice Lispector, João Guimarães Rosa, Samuel Rawet, Dalton Trevisán, Moacyr Scliar, Rubem Fonseca
Crônica:
Lispector, Clarice. Selected Crônicas. New York: New Directions, 1996.
Also, Machado de Assis, Rubem Braga, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Rachel de Queiroz