On September 17, Janela Livraria at Shopping da Gávea, in Rio de Janeiro, will host the launch of “Sutilezas do Patriarcado”, a collection of short stories organized by Mirna Brasil Portella . The book, which explores the abuses that are naturalized in the daily lives of women in Brazil, brings together authors of different ages and regions. With 224 pages that address themes such as psychological, moral and obstetric violence, the work aims to provoke a deep reflection on the persistence of patriarchy in different aspects of daily life. The cover of the collection, created by artist Panmela Castro, symbolizes sisterhood, while 5% of sales will be donated to support women victims of gender-based violence.
How did the idea for the collection Subtleties of Patriarchy come about and what was the motivation for addressing the issue of abuse that is naturalized in women’s daily lives?
The idea for the book came about in 2020, during the pandemic. A close friend of mine suffered very serious gender-based violence. When she used the Maria da Penha Law to obtain a protective order against her partner, she received a questionnaire with several questions about situations and behaviors that could be considered aggression by men against women. She had experienced almost everything, violence that she had never identified. She once told me, in a conversation, that the questionnaire made her realize that she had been in an abusive relationship for many years, and that this extreme aggression had been the last of a lifetime of abuse. This made me reflect on how we women experience endless gender-based violence without realizing it. Because these abusive practices are normalized by society. Being aware of this may help many women take action before it is too late.
Can you share a little about the process of selecting the stories and authors who participated in the collection? How were the texts and participants chosen?
First, I thought about the authors. From the beginning, I wanted a plural collection, written by women from different regions of Brazil and with different world experiences and ages. Some are screenwriters, new to short stories. It’s interesting that a collection brings new authors, brings freshness. There are already well-established, published and award-winning authors. As for the short stories, they all had the freedom to write, each in their own way. The only criteria regarding the texts was that they should not contain physical violence, rape or murder.
What were the main challenges encountered in organizing this collection and how did you overcome them?
Talking to 26 women at the same time was a huge challenge. Each one had their own issues, doubts, and challenges. But it was a beautiful process. I felt very close to all of them. It was an exercise in listening and sharing issues that are common to all of us. A feeling of sisterhood. The indigenous women, for example, brought up the issue of rape in their texts. And it was very difficult to say “no,” because they are marked by this violence, by colonial rape. So we had many conversations to come to the understanding that the idea of the book is to talk about the violence that comes before the slap, before the rape. The book is a wake-up call.
How do you believe the stories in Subtleties of Patriarchy can contribute to raising awareness and transforming perceptions about patriarchy?
I think the main point of this collection is to show all of us women and men that gender-based violence has many layers and is present in all relationships, to a greater or lesser degree, even when there is no physical violence. While researching the topic, I discovered that most women who live in abusive relationships have difficulty perceiving the violence they suffer in their daily lives, especially when there is no physical aggression. Feeling obligated to have sex with a partner when they don’t feel like it, for example, is a common practice among married women. This is extremely violent. And there are countless situations of abuse against women that are naturalized in society, not just at home. There is violence in work relationships, legal violence, obstetric violence. Whether they are subtle or not is a question that each reader should ask themselves. The title is provocative in itself.
How does the diversity of ages and backgrounds of the authors influence the narrative and the approach to the themes in the book?
Brazil was formed from rape, the colonial rape of indigenous peoples and black people brought from Africa as slaves. These acts of violence are part of the genesis of our country. It was how the patriarchy appropriated the land, women’s bodies, other people’s labor, and the culture of other peoples. As a book that aims to discuss and reflect on the consequences and nuances of this perverse construction, it is essential that it include as many voices as possible, from different social backgrounds. We are all implicated in this logic, although machismo can become extremely cruel and operate to a greater or lesser degree depending on ethnicity, gender identity, social class, and region. Inviting authors of different ages was a way of showing that this structure spans generations and that we are still far from resolving the issue.
You mentioned that 5% of sales will be donated to the Coletiva Promotoras Legais Populares do Rio de Janeiro. Could you talk a little more about the importance of this partnership and how it aligns with the purpose of the book?
From the beginning, the publisher Rebuliço and I thought about a social contribution. The idea is not to make money from the book, the idea of the book is a collective, a female union around a subject common to all women. The book is a cultural-artistic-literary action that is both supportive and socially responsible. The purpose of the Coletiva Promotoras Legais Populares do Rio de Janeiro is to welcome, raise awareness and provide training for women linked to the feminist movement and professionals in the network that assists women who are victims of gender-based violence.
How was the collaboration with the artist Panmela Castro in creating the book cover, and in what way does the work “Siamese Sisters” reflect the theme and message of Subtleties of Patriarchy?
The cover is a 2012 work by artist Panmela Castro. Panmela was extremely empathetic to the project. As an activist artist who is dedicated to combating gender violence through art, she embraced the idea and came along. The work “Siamese Sisters,” which features two women joined by their hair, refers to sisterhood. In this sense, I would say that Panmela Castro ’s artwork is the common thread of the collection.
What is the main message you hope readers take away after reading The Subtleties of Patriarchy, and how do you see this work’s impact on the fight against gender-based violence and patriarchy?
The purpose of the book is to warn about “small murders,” everything that comes before the slap, before the final blow. To warn women so that they are aware that no, it is not like that, when they realize that something is wrong in their relationships. To warn men about practices that hurt their partners, mothers, daughters, friends, so that they reflect and change their abusive behavior. To warn women and men so that they understand that it is not normal for a partner to want to control his partner’s life, her steps, her clothes, her choices. It is not normal for only the mother to miss work to go to a school meeting or to the pediatrician with her child. It is not normal that we need a law that allows women to go in accompanied by someone to have a medical exam with sedation, because she runs the risk of being raped. It is not normal for a female journalist to be attacked by a soccer coach when asking a routine question at a press conference. It is not normal for gray-haired men to be considered handsome mature men and gray-haired women to be considered slovenly old women. This is all part of an extremely perverse mechanism.
- The book Subtleties of Patriarchy (ed. Rebuliço, 2024), organized by Mirna Brasil Portella, who wrote the short story “Prato Principal”, will be launched on September 17th, at 7 pm, at Janela Livraria do Shoppinda da Gavéa / Cine Estação Net Gávea, in Rio de Janeiro, and is already scheduled to be launched in São Paulo, Portugal and Spain.
- Mirna Brasil Portella has 12 titles for children and young adults and has participated in several anthologies, including Vou te contar: 20 histórias ao som de Tom Jobim (Rocco); and Manual literatura para amar os homens ( Átame ). The author has already had works in the FNLIJ/Bologna Children’s Book Fair Catalogue. Her book Do Mar, a narrative
- feminist for young readers, was awarded the FNLIJ Highly Recommended seal. In 2018, she won second place in the National Library Award, in the Children’s and Young Adult category, with the book Porco de casa cachorro é (Fine Writing).
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