Maurício Rosa reimagines his grandfather’s memories in a new book that aims to paint a sensitive and inventive portrait

Luca Moreira
7 Min Read
Maurício Rosa (Caique Lima)
Maurício Rosa (Caique Lima)

Inspired by the lack of information about his maternal grandfather’s life, Maurício Rosa launches Na Proa do Trovão, a work that mixes poetry and imagination to paint a sensitive and inventive portrait. Published by Laranja Original, the book reconstructs important moments in the life of Armando, a black man of humble origins, exploring family and emotional relationships with lyricism and depth. The work also features presentations by award-winning authors and reaffirms the poet’s talent as a unique voice in contemporary literature.

You decided to tell the story of your grandfather, Armando, through poetry, even though you didn’t know him personally. What was the process like of reconstructing his life from fragments of stories and your own imagination?

It was a great adventure! I had complete creative freedom to invent, reimagine, and recreate inaccurate real facts , filling in the gaps with poetry, but also fully respecting my family’s memory. Without a doubt, by balancing these two things, I came away from writing this book a much better writer.

In “Fascination,” you contrast Armando’s humble birth with a king’s visit to the city. Why was this parallel important to you, and how does it reflect the book’s central theme?

Great question! The intention was to compare greatness and the place of the people in Brazilian history. The diplomatic visit is officially recorded and duly documented. But, personally, my grandfather’s birth is much more important. Who would rescue this social contrast? Who would place the poor in the political scene of that period? Bringing up my grandfather’s birth, beyond the emotional aspect worked on in this poem, is a reminder of the fact that, on the margins of “official history”, other stories just as significant are happening, and they are also important to narrate the country.

Armando’s poems about romantic relationships are both tender and dark. How did you navigate these opposing emotions to create an authentic narrative about love?

Another wonderful question. I believe that the path of love also has contrasts and that, eventually, looking at love can be like observing a prism, looking for the angle that will best reflect the light. Love is made of these various faces. But the truth is that I wanted to build failed loves to reach a place of completeness when my grandfather finally meets my grandmother. Then, there are crises, of course, the prism cracks. But love will be protected until the end. Tender and dark.

You dedicate a good part of the book to Armando’s marriage and family life. How do you see the role of family relationships in the construction of his identity, both his and your own?

The family he started to create still has an impact on our practices and customs today. Family shapes our traditions and values. I am certain that forming and being part of the Rosa family made my grandfather the man with the values my relatives describe. It is from this “family man” that I draw 90% of the construction of the man who is present in the book.

Maurício Rosa
Maurício Rosa

In the “Tangará” section, you approach neighbors and friends as an extension of the family. What led you to include these characters, and how do they complement your grandfather’s journey?

Living in a small community, neighbors are in some ways part of the family: they baptize each other’s children, become godparents at weddings, get married. I’m interested when boundaries are tested and friendships between neighbors enter a zone of danger and conflict. I’d like to explore this aspect further. I think this human landscape enriches any story.

In the poem “The Portrait,” you describe Armando as an “ordinary hero with little odyssey.” How do you think stories of people like him contribute to enriching our understanding of history and society?

Telling the story of my grandfather (and of other characters whose stories have not been told) is important because it points to other perspectives, I would even say fairer perspectives about Brazil. It is clear that History has been told from the perspective of the privileged. For this reason, it is more than urgent to rescue the voice of the people and demystify manipulated heroisms.

You mentioned the limited amount of concrete facts about Armando. How did poetic language help you address those gaps and build a narrative that still feels complete?

Literature and language cannot do everything, but there are things that only they can do. It was with this in mind that I embarked on the task of writing about my grandfather’s life. Nothing would have made me hug him—in the extreme of metaphor: rock him to sleep when he was a newborn—if it weren’t for poetry. This entire project was based on the power of literature and the paths that only it can point out.

The book features introductions by renowned authors such as Lilia Guerra and Lilian Sais. How did these collaborations add to the work, and what do you hope readers will feel as they delve into this poetic biography?

Lilia Guerra and Lilian Sais contributed texts that enhanced the reader’s experience with the book. Their participation, as well as that of Márcia Pereira, helps the reader to follow the paths that their sensitive eyes followed. I hope that readers will also delve into these texts and, from this set of voices united with the poems, have the most complete experience possible with this book that makes me very proud and happy.

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