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Brazilian Market Literature Collection

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: Michele Combs
Date: 17 Jan 2025

Biographical History

"Market literature" refers to a type of popular reading material which was published in inexpensive pamphlets and booklets and sold in local markets. It was particularly prevalent in areas of the Global South, including Latin America and Africa. Market literature frequently documents folklore, popular culture, and social and political issues of the time.

In Brazil, this material was known as literatura de cordel due to the fact that the printed items were often suspended on cords for display in the markets. The time period covered by this partcular collection spans a difficult period in Brazilian history. In 1964 the Brazilian armed forces, with backing from the United States government and with the support of various conservative sectors of the country including the Catholic Church, took control of the country through a military coup. Nominally guided by principles of nationalism, economic development, and anti-communism, the new regime was extremely authoritarian and oppressive. It instituted aggressive censorship and committed extensive human rights abuses such as institutionalized torture, suspension of habeas corpus, extrajudicial killings, widespread arrest and detention of dissidents, and forced disappearances. The new Constitution enacted in 1967 was highly restrictive, actively stifling freedom of speech and political opposition. This period of nationwide repression lasted until the mid-1980s, when various forces combined to topple military regimes across South America. In 1982 Brazil held its first free elections since the coup, and in 1988 the country passed a new Constitution and officially returned to democracy.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Brazilian Market Literature Collection consists of printed items dating from the 1970s to the 1990s. A few items are reprints of material from the 1950s. The collection represent a sampling of marginal ephemera from a period of enormous political repression and censorship in Brazil, forming an important record of folk and popular culture during and after the military dictatorship. The collection also includes a modern-era zine entitled "Publicaçao nas margens do Brasil: literatura de cordel, 1970s-80s," published by Fugitive Materials in 2024, in which are reproduced the covers of many of the items.

Approximately two thirds of the publications are folk tales, biographies of noted Brazilians, or works by contemporary poets dealing with social issues. Of particular interest are a 1982 poem explaining why the poet wants to marry a feminist ("Eu quero e ser madamo e casar com feminista"), a 1986 booklet in praise of Brazilian politician and scholar Otávio Mangabeira ("Otávio Mangabeira - O maior democratica que conheci"), a 1987 pamphlet on HIV ("AIDS - a doença do século"), and a booklet on Esperanto. Authors represented in the collection include Leandro Gomes de Barros, Alípio Bispo dos Santos, Teodoro Ferraz da Camara, Jose Pacheco, Minelvino Francisco Silva, and Rodolfo Coelho Cavalcante.

Most of the items are small format (4.5" x 6.5") stapled booklets of lightweight paper similar to newsprint. Some covers have woodcut illustrations, others have on the front and/or back a photograph of the subject or the author. Some have covers in a different color (light blue, pink, or green) and two or three items have full-color illustrations on the cover, but the majority of items are entirely in black and white only.

Arrangement of the Collection

Material is arranged by year but within each year is in no particular order. The modern-era zine is filed first, and undated items are filed at the end.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

See also the African Market Literature Collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Barros, Leandro Gomes de, 1865-1918.
Cavalcante, Rodolfo Coelho, 1919-1986.
Santos, Alípio Bispo dos.
Silva, Minelvino Francisco, 1926-1999.

Subjects

Brazilian literature.
Brazilian poetry.
Chapbooks, Brazilian.
Folklore -- Brazilian.
Popular culture -- Brazil.

Places

Brazil -- History.
Brazil -- Intellectual life.
Popular literature.

Genres and Forms

Chapbooks.
Cordel literature.
Pamphlets.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Brazilian Market Literature Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchase, 2024.

Table of Contents

Printed material

Inventory