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Unpacking Emotions: Kristeva’s Journey through Nostalgia and the ‘Silence of Polyglots’ | Art of Saudade

Literature is magic. Philosophy and psychology, on the other hand, are the alchemists attempting to distill the essence of this magic into the structured language of science. Today, we’re delving into the intriguing world of Julia Kristeva’s ‘Étrangers à nous-mêmes’ (Strangers to Ourselves), a masterpiece that landed in my hands amidst the hustle of moving from one ‘foreign’ land to another. Here I am, at … Continue reading Unpacking Emotions: Kristeva’s Journey through Nostalgia and the ‘Silence of Polyglots’ | Art of Saudade

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Inside the Mind of a Hopeless 19th Century French Romantic: Nerval’s Aurélia | Art of Saudade

In the year 1854, a time far removed from the groundbreaking theories of Freud and the literary innovations of Proust, a French poet named Gerard de Nerval embarked on a poetic journey that would challenge the norms of literature. Nerval’s work, “Aurélia,” stands as a testament to his exploration of the oniric world, a dreamscape that defies the conventions of its time. Nerval, a self-proclaimed … Continue reading Inside the Mind of a Hopeless 19th Century French Romantic: Nerval’s Aurélia | Art of Saudade

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Embark on a Literary Journey: Overcoming Reading Burnout with Cortazar’s Hopscotch! 🌟

“Hopscotches, childish rituals of pebbling and hopping to enter Heaven.” Hey, bookworms and literature enthusiasts! Remember my pledge in November to conquer the post-reading burnout blues? If you missed the challenge, catch up here. Now, the big question – did I succeed? Well, I wouldn’t say I failed either, and here’s why. Against the advice of many, I opted for a hefty tome. Not just … Continue reading Embark on a Literary Journey: Overcoming Reading Burnout with Cortazar’s Hopscotch! 🌟

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Rediscovering the Joy of Reading: My November Challenge | Art of Saudade

Hey there, fellow book enthusiasts! If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had moments in your life when you couldn’t put a book down, devouring pages and pages in a single sitting. That’s exactly how I used to be during my college days as a literature student. I could easily breeze through a hundred pages a day, and the library felt like my second home. … Continue reading Rediscovering the Joy of Reading: My November Challenge | Art of Saudade

Who Is Annie Ernaux And Why Was She Awarded The Nobel Prize In Literature? | Art of Saudade

France is the country with the most Nobel Prize winners in literature: 15 Nobel laureates, all of them men. This year, the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded for the first time to a French female author, Annie Ernaux.  Annie was born in the middle of World War II, in a small town in the Normandy region. She portrayed the ordinary life of her working-class … Continue reading Who Is Annie Ernaux And Why Was She Awarded The Nobel Prize In Literature? | Art of Saudade

When Dystopia Makes You Cherish Your Life | Blindness by José Saramago | Art of Saudade

They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. Psalm 115:5-8  Dystopia is one … Continue reading When Dystopia Makes You Cherish Your Life | Blindness by José Saramago | Art of Saudade

Love In The Time Of Corona: 95 Years Of Gabriel García Márquez | Art of Saudade

Today, a Latin American lady sang La Cucaracha in a tramway full of zombies. Faces behind the screens, some of them laughing behind their masks, couldn’t care less if some middle-aged homeless woman decided to break the monotony.  La cucaracha, la cucaracha, ya no puede caminar… Honestly, she made my day. Not only did she make my day, but she also reminded me of the … Continue reading Love In The Time Of Corona: 95 Years Of Gabriel García Márquez | Art of Saudade

Banning Culture | A University In Italy Banned A Course On Dostoevsky | Art of Saudade

“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe.” – Albert Einstein A few days ago, the University of Milano-Bicocca decided to suspend the course that the writer Paolo Nori was going to give on the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. The author himself explained that censoring a literature class is ridiculous.  This is not just ridiculous, it’s … Continue reading Banning Culture | A University In Italy Banned A Course On Dostoevsky | Art of Saudade

Not all heroes wear capes, some wear glasses – Rosa Parks | Art of Saudade

American activist Rosa Parks was born on this day in 1913. December 1, 1955, Montgomery, Alabama – a quiet, 42-year-old woman was arrested for refusing to surrender her seat to a man on a bus. The reason? She was African-American and the man was “white”. Yes, I also can’t believe this happened less than 70 years ago. This event led to the United States Supreme … Continue reading Not all heroes wear capes, some wear glasses – Rosa Parks | Art of Saudade

Brazilian literature: #1 Jorge Amado – Captains of the Sands

There is something mysterious and intriguing about books that were burned under dictatorships, don’t you think?  Personally, knowing that a book was prohibited by certain authorities inspires me even more to discover it. Captains of the Sands is a novel written by the Brazilian author Jorge Amado in 1937. Amado was only 25 years old when he first published the story of the abandoned children … Continue reading Brazilian literature: #1 Jorge Amado – Captains of the Sands