Since the group has a Tumblr, I wrote a short text about the crônica for it. And more and more, I found myself thinking of my favorite cronista: Stanislaw Ponte Preta. So here is that very short text with the bonus of Ponte Preta according to himself embedded at the end. Enjoy!
The Brazilian crônica is a short
story literary genre that narrates everyday occurrences in the lives of
ordinary people. It has a real urban cultural background that functions almost
as an additional character. In the crônica, slight criticism, as well as humor,
is combined with a defined chronology (hence the name crônica), colloquial
dialogue, and simple language throughout to create a narrative that hangs
between fiction piece and journalistic tale. The names of streets, squares and
shops are well known to the people of the urban area in question, and the
reader feels like the events could have happened “just down the street.”
Yet, through this seemingly simple
narrative and plot structure, the crônica is capable of capturing much of the
comedy and tragedy of a place and time. What worries do everyday people have?
How do they handle family, money, politics? What do their houses, streets, and
relationships look like?
Barderston contends that the
crônica manages to “express the contemporary culture of the city in its
manifold manifestations.” It is one of my favorite things to read, and while it
is very unassuming, in time the crônica acquires historical value. For one can
tell much about the cultural history of a city through its crônicas.
One of my favorite cronistas is
Stanislaw Ponte Preta (penname of Sergio Porto). I could say something about
him, but it would neither do him justice nor sound as witty as it should. So
here is a little snippet of Ponte Preta according to himself, almost intact and
as intended (except for what my loose, but well-intended translation might have
misplaced and misrepresented):
Stanislaw
Ponte Preta (1923-1968) self-portrait (source http://www.releituras.com/spontepreta_bio.asp):
Professional
Activities: journalist, radio personality, television personality (the term
does not yet exist, but the activity is said to), theater person currently on
recess, humorist, publicist and bank clerk.
Main
Motivations: Women.
Paradoxical
Qualities: a bohemian that loves to stay home, an irreverent that revises
everything he writes, a serious humorist.
Vulnerabilities:
A complete incapacity to be swept by politics. Has never had a fully-formed
opinion on any public figure, national or international.
Home-available
panaceas: When something hurts below the belly button: Paregoric Elixir. Above
the belly button: Aspirin.
Strong
Superstitions: None, except for the day before the World Cup final. On
such occasions, even a spiritual leader of African-Brazilian religions looks
skeptical by comparison.
Irresistible
Temptations: Walk in the rain, laugh at inappropriate times, whisper in the ear
of a conceited woman that she is not as good as she thinks.
Absurd
fears: Any hefty insect (from cockroach up).
Secret
Pride: Cook a sunny-side-up egg with the same skill with which Pelé scores
a goal. As a matter of fact, great cook in the hardest of culinary areas: everyday
food.
