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Argues for the indispensable role of culture in sustaining and extending the horizons of democracy in Brazil and beyond.
In 2013, mass protests shook Brazil and transformed the country's political landscape. Brazilian Culture at a Democratic Crossroads examines the relationship between Brazilian democracy and cultural production, particularly literature, in the years since. Analyzing digital poetry collections, Indigenous literary and visual works, and texts addressing environmental issues, Leila Lehnen argues that cultural expression does more than reflect conversations about democracy. In some instances, it can actively expand what democracy means, creating space to explore how democratic values—equality, political participation, and even the rights of other-than-human beings—operate at more granular levels in everyday life, interpersonal relations, and individual experiences. Probing the distinctive power of creative language to project a democratic horizon, the book advances a conception of democracy as an ongoing process of broadening social, cultural, and epistemic inclusion, one that unfolds not only in legislatures and courts but also in the discursive and symbolic arenas where meaning is made and contested.
"An excellent contribution to both literary and socio-political studies of Brazil. Lehnen draws ingenious connections between the country's democratic trajectory, the space and place of historically marginalized groups, and the philosophy of Jacques Rancière, without, however, deemphasizing Brazilian intellectuals. The book is innovative and singular in its focus on contemporary issues and texts by a diverse range of Indigenous, Afro-Brazilian, and LGBTQIA2S+ writers and thinkers." — Tania Martuscelli, University of Colorado Boulder
"Brazilian Culture at a Democratic Crossroads brilliantly exemplifies an amplified notion of democracy as becoming real—visible and sensible—through dynamic cultural and artistic manifestations on all levels. The book offers timely insights for readers interested in Brazil, Latin America, and global environmental and climate issues, highlighting how these crises intersect with today's fragile democracies. No other book on contemporary Brazil has this comprehensive scope." — Karl Erik Schøllhammer, Pontifícia Universidade Católica, Rio de Janeiro
Leila Lehnen is Associate Professor of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies at Brown University. She is the author of Citizenship and Crisis in Contemporary Brazilian Literature.