Porous City
A Cultural History of Rio de Janeiro
Distributed for Liverpool University Press
224 pages
|
6 x 9
Despite its famous image as a divided city—of wealthy high-rises and the surrounding, povert-stricken favelas—Rio de Janeiro’s culture is a product of profound interaction between classes and races. Bruno Carvalho focuses on one of the most compelling sites of Rio’s cultural production—the Cidade Nova, or “New City,” neighborhood—which was razed during World War II for the construction of a grand avenue but is now being rediscovered as Rio prepares for the 2016 Olympic games. Carvalho examines literature, architecture, art, history, and music to show how once marginalized cultural practices—like samba music—have become emblems of national identity, and in doing so he rethinks the history of Rio and its importance to the establishment of Brazil’s complex identity.
Bryan McCann, Georgetown University
“This is a wonderfully erudite but also congenial work, inviting the reader to a deeper understanding of Rio de Janeiro’s history over the past centuries through close investigation of the neighborhood of Cidade Nova, its changing population and architecture, and the many works of literature, visual arts, and popular song connected to those histories.”—
For more information, or to order this book, please visit http://www.press.uchicago.edu
Google preview here
You may purchase this title at these fine bookstores. Outside the USA, see our international sales information.
