In the last week, I have been in the process of translating the work I had already completed into the new discussed product of my research and doing the necessary additional research to compensate for the change in direction. It's been tough to adapt to the changes. Not only the changes of my project but the new dynamic of having work, school and family life be all on the same stage and often happening all at the same time. However, I'm finding what works and what does not. I'm hoping I find a groove before it begins to make an impact.
This week I took a focus on the origins of Afro-Brazilian Poetry, this art form is closely linked to history and culture. I've been diving into work in order to connect the cosmology of divine poetry, the historical context and the cultural diaspora that needs to be considered. In order to do this I've read many articles but have really found this particular article helpful: Steven F. White's "Reinventing a Sacred Past in Contemporary Afro-Brazilian Poetry." White's work has elements of the divine, history and culture.
Since Professor Byam would like out blog post project to move through element by element I've decided that my first piece will be of the genesis of poetry in Brazil and it's meaning for the enslaved Africans. Much like the spirituals of the south, the poetry allowed for knowledge and spirituality the slave masters could not control. Interestingly, Brazilian's isolation of Africans allowed for the out pour of melancholia to remain distinctly African compared to North American black art of that era.  I think its incredibly meaningful and important, so I'll be starting there and fleshing out some of the work I've already written.