When: November 4-5, 2017
Where: Framingham, MA, USA
Institution: Best of Brazil Cultural Fair
Facilitators: Doris Sommer, and Sandra Ferreira
A group of Brazilian scholars, thinkers, and artists traveled to Massachusetts the weekend of November 4-5, 2017 to participate in the Best of Brazil Cultural Fair in Framingham. Participants came from every region of Brazil, and the event was an exposition that demonstrated uniquely Brazilian cultural facets and strengthened connections between the Greater Boston Brazilian community and Brazil.
During this educational weekend-long event, they met with representatives from the Brazilian consulate, gave presentations on their respective regions, and participated in a Pre-Texts mini-workshop at Harvard. Enthusiastic and passionate, these 30 academics were quick to see the beauty of Pre-Texts as they read a short excerpt in Portuguese from “Amor” by Clarice Lispector.
Co-facilitated by Doris Sommer & Sandra Ferreira, the final activity invited participants to use Brazilian music to dissect the text. Sandra played 5 short song clips, and then participants chose lines in the text that they felt matched the song. At the end of the workshop, one participant commented, “Pre-Texts […] expands our view of the world, of others, of ourselves.”