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Joao Guimaraes RosaBrazilian writer.
Date of Birth: 27.06.1908
Country:  Brazil |
Content:
- Guimarães Rosa: A Brazilian Literary Giant
- Marriage and Medical Practice
- Military Service and Literary Beginnings
- Diplomatic Career and Literary Success
- Writing and Legacy
Guimarães Rosa: A Brazilian Literary Giant
Early Life and EducationBorn in Cordisburgo, Brazil, Guimarães Rosa was the eldest of six children. Home-schooled in his early years, he developed a passion for languages, beginning with French at the age of seven. He moved to his grandparents' home in Belo Horizonte, where he completed primary school. He continued his education at Santo Antônio School in São João del Rei before returning to Belo Horizonte to finish secondary school. At the age of 16, he enrolled in the medical school at the University of Minas Gerais.
Marriage and Medical Practice
In 1930, Rosa married Lícia Cabral Penna. They had two daughters, Vilma and Agnes. That same year, he graduated from medical school and began his medical practice in Itaguara and later in Itaúna, Minas Gerais. During this period, he encountered the elements of the sertão (Brazilian backlands), which became a source of inspiration for his works.
Military Service and Literary Beginnings
After returning from Itaguara, Rosa volunteered as a physician in the Força Pública during the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932. There, he met future president Juscelino Kubitschek. Later, he qualified as a civil servant. In 1933, he moved to Barbacena and served as a doctor in the 9th Infantry Battalion.
Diplomatic Career and Literary Success
Rosa embarked on a diplomatic career that took him to Europe and Latin America. In 1963, he was unanimously elected to the Brazilian Academy of Letters, but he only accepted the invitation four years later, just days before his untimely death in Rio de Janeiro.
Writing and Legacy
Throughout his career, Guimarães Rosa wrote novels and short stories that reinvigorated Brazilian literature in the mid-20th century. His most famous work, "Grande Sertão: Veredas" ("The Devil to Pay in the Backlands"), published in 1956, is a monologue by a peasant that has won numerous awards and is considered a masterpiece of Brazilian literature. Rosa also published a book of poetry, "Magma" (1936), which was awarded the Brazilian Academy of Letters Prize but remained unpublished during his lifetime.
Rosa's writing is known for its lyrical language, rich symbolism, and insights into the human condition. He died at the peak of his diplomatic and literary career at the age of 59, leaving behind a legacy as one of Brazil's most important and influential writers.
