Graciliano Ramos

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Graciliano Ramos (born in Quebrângulo, state of Alagoas, October 27, 1892, died in Rio de Janeiro, March 20, 1953) was widely considered one of the most important Brazilian authors of the 20th century. He was a seminal voice in the literary "regionalism" movement.

As a child Ramos lived in many cities of Northeastern Brazil, stricken by poverty and severe weather conditions (droughts). After high-school, Graciliano went to Rio de Janeiro where he worked as a journalist. In 1915 he traveled to Palmeira dos Indios, state of Alagoas, to live with his father and in 1927 he was elected mayor.

In 1933 he published his first book, Caetés. A few years later he was jailed by the Getúlio Vargas government, on a charge that was never made clear. His experiences in jail would become a unique personal deposition, Memórias do Cárcere.

Graciliano died in 1953, at the age of 60. His "dry" style of writing and the conflict between the id and the world are the significant marks of his works.

"We should write like the clothes washers from Alagoas do their work. First they wet the cloth on a river or pound then they twist the cloth, and they wet again and twist again, put soap and wash and again more water and they slam against a stone and twist one, twice, till dont drop anything..then after all these they put to dry. So should do who wants to write. The word was not made to decorate, shine like fools gold; the word was made to say"