Brazil meu Brasil Brasileiro

Well... Chicago is cold.

Upon returning to Chicago after two weeks in Brazil with Waltraud I have to say that a little bit of perspective is a good thing. Upon arriving in Sao Paulo we had a dinner with Regis Bonvicino and this was a delight. Regis is a poet who has such range and is someone who has such insights into poetry globally. I think this comes from the fact that he is not a poet only but also works and lives in a greater world a poetic life.

Brazil is a place of great import for me and being there for two weeks sets such a contrast to our life in the USA. Brazil and Latin America is general is a different mindset when it comes to the arts and poetry; in the USA poets and other artists are driven by innovation- in Brazil poets tend to bring voice to points of view that are not normally heard in the poet world. Brazil also still possesses an "artists" sense where
aesthetics are more important than origin. Race and Ethnicity are rawly presented they are before the world for eyes to see.Brazil has a sense that is everywhere that is one part Latin, one part Native American and one part African this mix free of the Puritanism of the USA is a delight.

The trip was interesting for a allot of other reasons we spent some time in Porto Alegre where Waltraud went to art school. Porto Alegre is Brazil's answer to cities like Miami, or San Antonio it is a bi-cultural city that sits between the Spanish speaking and Portuguese speaking world. It is also a city of great artists and artistic feeling. We went to a great exhibit of photos at the art museum, some by Henri Cartier Bresson and some by Brazilian artists. We got to see our friend Helena Greco who is a great
artist of painted ceramics in the same tradition of the Russian Futurists her work is just great.

So back in Chicago- good to be home only wish it was warmer!

R