Notes & Links: The Sun on My Head

Photo by Michelle Guimarães from Pexels. Book image and background added.

Our June book, The Sun on My Head by Geovani Martins, was a launching point for a vibrant discussion on Sunday.

Thank you to everyone who joined and contributed to the conversation about the art of translation, the many issues raised by Martins (police violence, life in the favelas, the dehumanization of people in need, trauma and mental health, and much more), and reflections on related issues in our wider world today.

As usual, a number of films, books, and links came up for further exploration over the course of the discussion. These include:

• An article by translator Julia Sanches about her experience translating The Sun on My Head.

• City of God by Paolo Lins

  • Film adaptation

  • A 3-minute film from Nowness features Lins reflecting on how the favelas have changed.

• City of Men (2007 film from the producers of City of God)

• 5 x Favela, Now by Ourselves (2010 film directed and created by young filmmakers who live in the favelas)

• Pixote (1980 film; set in Sao Paolo)

• Child of the Dark: The Diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus by Carolina Maria de Jesus (1950s account of life in Sao Paolo favela)

• Background on the literary festival where Martins was "discovered"

• Pather Panchali (1955 film; set in a small Indian village)

• Virtual tours and video stories of the favelas (Created by Google when Brazil hosted the World Cup)

• A bonus recommendation from one of our participants (not directly related to this month's book/theme): Die Neue Zeit (Bauhaus - A New Era) - television series set in 1919 at the Bauhaus art school

July Details and August Date Correction For July, we turn our attention to Naples with Elena Ferrante's novel Troubling Love.

Set in Naples, Italy, this debut novel by New York Times bestselling author Elena Ferrante (My Brilliant Friend, The Days of Abandonment) tells a story about mothers and daughters and the complicated knot of lies, emotions, and shared history than binds them. Following her mother's untimely and mysterious death, Delia embarks on a voyage of discovery through the chaotic, suffocating streets of her native Naples in search of the truth about her family. A series of mysterious telephone calls leads her to compelling and disturbing revelations about her mother's final days. (more)

The discussion will take place on July 18; the book is available for purchase in paperbook or eBook editions from Books Inc. at Opera Plaza.

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