Points of Convergence: Latin America in Dialogue with the Orient A Conversation with Haroldo de Campos

Abstract

This article combines an introduction to the work of Haroldo de Campos and a recent interview in which the Brazilian poet talks about his work. The English introduction is aimed primarily at hispanists in the UK and USA who are not lusophone specialists. In the interview, the Brazilian poet, critic, and translator Haroldo de Campos, talks at length about topics related to modern and contemporary Latin-American poetry, especially concerning its relationship with Japanese, Chinese, and Indian cultures. Discussing his often radical, and therefore controversial, views on Brazilian literature and criticism, he deals with a large range of important themes such as modernism, the baroque and the avant-garde, at the same time as considers his own literary and intellectual experience.