Curran's Cordel Connection

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OF  CORDEL STUDIES  (UMA VIDA DE CORDEL!)

            Bemvindos (welcome) to Professor Mark Curran’s web page on the folk-popular poetry from Brazil’s Northeast.  Cordel is the short term for what we call the Literatura de Cordel or “String Literature” with roots in 17^th and 18^th century Portugal and the folk-popular tradition from other countries of Europe, especially Spain and France.  This page’s first purpose is to INTRODUCE you to cordel, to explain its ROLE, its VALUE and its STATUS in Brazil today.

            Prof. Mark Curran has dedicated his entire academic career of thirty-five years to collection and research on cordel and its place in Brazilian culture and history.  He would like to share this research and experience with you, so please click on VITAE to see his published writings on cordel and Brazilian culture.  Also, please click on BOOKS for a synopsis of each of his books on the subject.  He welcomes interest in cordel and can be reached at his e-mail of: profmark@asu.edu (in English, Portuguese or Spanish).

            A list of links to cordel on the web can be found through any good search engine by searching for the term “literatura de cordel” or related terms.

            Finally, since man does not live by cordel alone, and Professor Curran wants to continue interesting conversation the next few years and into future retirement, please click on HOBBIES for a list of some of the things Mark Curran likes to talk and read about and some topics he has taught at Arizona State University since 1968.