Description
- Abstract:
- This interview with the Portuguese-American author and professor Carlo Matos explores his life and literary career, focusing on the recurrent themes of ancestral memory and identity in his work. Matos discusses the profound influence of the Azores (specifically São Miguel), contrasting its vibrant natural life and sense of myth with the perceived inauthenticity of American suburbia where he grew up. He details the development of his poetics, from the persona poems of A School for Fishermen—influenced by the theater and Fernando Pessoa's heteronyms—to the use of prose poetry, pop culture, and humor in Counting Sheep till Doomsday, emphasizing a narrative approach that rejects the conventional conflict-and-resolution structure. The conversation also covers his personal and literary visibility as a bisexual/poly author with the novel As Malcriadas: or Names We Inherit, which Matos uses to challenge erasure and advocate for authentic, complex representations of non-monogamous and queer relationships. Finally, Matos reflects on the artistic struggle, the necessity of hard work, and the importance of abandoning "wrong dreams" in the pursuit of a meaningful life and creative practice.
- Esta entrevista com o autor e professor Carlo Matos, luso-americano, explora a sua vida e carreira literária, focando-se nos temas recorrentes de memória ancestral e identidade na sua obra. Matos discute a profunda influência dos Açores (especificamente São Miguel), contrastando a sua vida natural vibrante e sentido de mito com a percebida inautenticidade dos subúrbios americanos onde cresceu. Detalha o desenvolvimento da sua poética, desde os poemas de persona de A School for Fishermen—influenciados pelo teatro e pelos heterónimos de Fernando Pessoa—até ao uso de poesia em prosa, cultura pop e humor em Counting Sheep till Doomsday, enfatizando uma abordagem narrativa que rejeita a estrutura convencional de conflito e resolução. A conversa aborda também a sua visibilidade pessoal e literária como autor bissexual/poli com o romance As Malcriadas: or Names We Inherit, que Matos usa para desafiar o apagamento e defender representações autênticas e complexas de relações não-monogâmicas e queer. Finalmente, Matos reflete sobre a luta artística, a necessidade de trabalho árduo e a importância de abandonar "sonhos errados" na busca de uma vida significativa e prática criativa.
Citation
"Interview with author Carlo Matos"
(2025).
Gávea-Brown: A Bilingual Journal of Portuguese-North American Letters and Studies.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://doi.org/10.26300/w1s0-dc23
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Gávea-Brown: A Bilingual Journal of Portuguese-North American Letters and Studies
...Gávea-Brown: A Bilingual Journal of Portuguese-North American Letters and Studies (ISSN: 2641-0400) is published annually by the Department of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies at Brown University, and made possible with support from the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD). The journal …