Global Arc

Short stories and music will serve as vehicles for a deeper understanding of the major political and social shifts that have affected the landscape of the Contemporary Portuguese-speaking world. We will hear an array of voices and delve into a diversity of narratives as we explore the interconnected historical, social, political, and cultural aspects of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Timor-Leste.

Luanda, Lisbon, Rio, São Paulo...Through readings of selected texts and audiovisual materials, this course will visit the diverse cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world through the lens of culture produced in, by and about major cities. We will compare and contrast both "official" and "unofficial" narratives of these spaces and investigate how cultural productions from and about the periphery contest hegemonic representations of urban spaces and culture(s).

This course focuses on works that have been key for shaping the literary tradition of the Portuguese language, from colonial to postcolonial times. Discussions will focus on the intersections between literature, social change, identity, and history in Brazil, Portugal, and Lusophone Africa. Prerequisite: POR 208 or instructor's permission. Two 90-minute classes.

A study of 19th- to 21st-century Brazilian texts with the aim of defining the place of Brazilian literature and culture within the context of Latin America and beyond. To include writers like Machado de Assis, Oswald de Andrade, Guimarães Rosa, Drummond, João Cabral, Clarice Lispector, and Caetano Veloso. Prerequisite: POR 208 or instructor's permission. Two 90-minute classes.

A voyage through the lyrical traditions of Portugal, Brazil, and Portuguese-speaking Africa, this course seeks to trace the evolution of the poetic form and illuminate dynamic and enduring intertextualities. Through close-readings of major works of poetry we will explore the ongoing dialogue between poets and artists of the spoken word across time and space, providing the foundation for a deeper understanding of the diverse Portuguese-language literary and cultural landscape.

Through the analysis of literary texts, films, and music, the course will consider cultural responses to the construction of a Brazilian national identity. Possible topics include the Brazilian modernist tradition; contemporary culture and media; the city and literature; poetry and song. Prerequisites: POR 208 or instructor's permission. Two 90-minute classes.

An introduction to major poetic works of the Portuguese canon from the medieval period to the present day. We will analyze the poetic form itself, trace its evolution in Portugal, including the shift from epic to "anti-epic" writing and the relationship of poetry and music in the Portuguese tradition. The treatment of a number of recurring preoccupations will be explored, most notably those of personal and national identity, decadence, exile and escapism.

An overview of the cultures and histories of major cities in the Portuguese-speaking world, including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Lisbon and Luanda. This course will explore some of the tensions between modernization projects and cultural production during the late 19th and 20th centuries, examining representations of the city in literature (poetry and prose), maps, film, painting, photography, and music.

This on-site course offers an overview of Brazilian culture and society through the study of Rio de Janeiro and its history of urban development, social mobility, and lettered (as well as non-lettered) production, from colonial times to the present. Special attention will be paid to issues such as Afro-Brazilian culture, the interpretation of the country in a historical perspective, new trends in urban development, historical sites, slavery and post-slavery society, favelas and police, music and market. Local excursions will provide a first-hand view of themes worked on in the classroom. Course will be taught in Portuguese.

This course will explore the supposedly "untranslatable" concept of saudade from a number of angles. We will examine the political, economic, cultural and aesthetic manifestations of saudade and its myriad social implications through analysis of literary and sociology texts, music, cinema, and more from across the lusophone world. Particular attention will be paid to the prevalence of saudosismo in pop culture where classical texts and forms often make surprising appearances.