Cordel novels

A collection of Ferreira Gullar's cordels resurfaces, at an opportune moment, as a warning against authoritarian nostalgia.

Romances de cordel brings together works by Ferreira Gullar, created specifically at the National Students' Union (UNE) Popular Culture Center (CPC) in the 1960s. These works stem from an invitation from playwright Oduvaldo Vianna Filho—known as Vianinha—for Gullar to participate in the CPC's initiatives, a newly formed group originally bringing together theater directors. The partnership with UNE, forged by Vianinha, was more than promising, but also represented a unique opportunity for artists engaged in political activism to collaborate. This immersion in popular causes yielded works that have forever marked Brazilian culture, with Romances de cordel being the culmination of its literary legacy.

At Vianinha's request, Gullar composed "João Boa-Morte Cabar Marcado Para Morte ," a text that was initially intended for the stage but ended up being published only in a booklet typical of cordel writers. The same was true of "Quem matou Aparecida?", which tells the story of a woman living in the now-defunct Praia do Pinto favela in Rio de Janeiro who, in an act of desperation, sets fire to her own clothes. This was followed by the cordéis "Peleja de Zé Molesta com Tio Sam ," an ingenious allegory denouncing the cultural and political domination of the United States over Latin American countries, and "History of a Brave Man ," which recounts the imprisonment of Gregório Bezerra due to the political repression of the civil-military dictatorship. All these stories are now re-edited with a refined graphic design, accompanied by illustrations by the great woodcut artist Ciro Fernandes – one of the most important names in visual arts in Brazil – created especially for these cordéis that Editora José Olympio proudly publishes.

This book, therefore, represents not only the perpetuation of Ferreira Gullar's political lyre, but also pays due homage to the imagery of the persevering popular struggles. In the tumultuous days that confirmed the 1964 coup, the CPC was targeted by extremists, who, on the night of March 31st, fired randomly at the UNE headquarters. The following day, Gullar, along with Teresa Aragão, witnessed the building's complete destruction. "We watched the UNE headquarters burned down by fanatics who passed by us with bombs and guns in hand. If they had recognized us, we would have been lynched." To such acts of political intolerance, which sought to dismantle the CPC, Romances de cordel resurfaces as a warning. Its permanence celebrates the ideas of social justice that do not fade.