Patrícia Galvão: Pagu, an unwavering activist

In this memoir, we meet Patrícia Galvão, Pagu, through the eyes of Maria Valéria Rezende and discover the paths that transformed the two friends into unwavering activists.

This profile of Patrícia Galvão is a portrait of a country and an era. A moving memoir about people who believe in social action, which is why they find themselves struggling with escapes and prisons, risking death, and turning to books. Along this path, we see the modernists enter the scene; then, the oppressive days of the Estado Novo. Homes without television, the Escola Normal (Northeastern State of Rio). The Brazilian press gaining form and content. The beginning of women's struggles and achievements.

Maria Valéria Rezende, now an award-winning writer, was a young girl when she met Patrícia in Santos in the early 1950s. At first, she was just "Patrícia." Their friendship began at the Coliseu Theater and extended to Bar Regina, a favorite haunt of artists and Communist Party members. Maria Valéria listened to what her more knowledgeable and experienced friend had to say, and through her perspective, she learned to see much further. Not just what was playing at the theater, or the daily life of the Santos cultural scene, but what was happening in the wider world.

In remembering her friend, Maria Valéria tells us about the facets behind each name. Even more than a liberated woman, Pagu—as she became known—became a political figure, active on all fronts, and, going beyond politics, she dedicated herself to social and artistic endeavors. When it comes to Maria Valéria's life, we also see a tireless willingness to mobilize.

These are affectionate and passionate memories. They arouse passion not only for Patrícia Galvão, but also for the activism that both portrayed and portrayed pulsate. Both fight for an ideal reality. Therefore, Maria Valéria Rezende's narrative about Pagu often speaks of herself; after all, there is a convergence of spirit, a magnet that unites these two nonconformist women, these two unwavering activists.