Corruption, blackmail, ambition and spirituality intertwine in the book “Espíritos Vadios”, the first volume of the new trilogy by writer André L. Nakamura . The plot begins with the suspicious death of two colonels from Paraíba, Toni and Alexandre, and plunges the reader into a violent power struggle between the leaders’ widows and their successors. Set in fictional cities in Paraíba, the work denounces structural inequalities and challenges any classic notion of good guys and bad guys, by exposing characters involved in conspiracies, betrayals and moral dilemmas.
Your narrative delves into a universe where there are no clear good guys or bad guys, just complex people trying to survive amidst conflict and corruption. What was it like for you to build such morally ambiguous characters, and how does this ambiguity reflect your view of the real world?
As I always remember, we are good and bad, to different degrees, depending on the circumstances. I do not believe that saints and heroes inhabit the Earth. As much as they say that the difference between morality and immorality is very clear, I personally have not had the opportunity to know “that black and white”. The world is gray. Working as a lawyer, journalist and public servant, allows us to experience experiences that do not allow us to see a clear distinction, most of the time, between heroes and villains.
The book’s setting, in fictional cities in Paraíba, adds a very strong regional and symbolic texture to the plot. Why did you choose this setting to tell this story, and how does the fictional geography dialogue with the real issues of the deep Brazil?
There are scenes set in several states in the Northeast, but most of them take place in cities in Paraíba, both real and fictional. Paraíba is the easternmost point of Brazil, and so is Brazilian Hollywood. When referring to people from the Northeast, some people jokingly call them “paraíbas”, including very famous politicians, which is a very mistaken generalization, because there are nine states, with their own peculiarities and customs. Also significant are the well-known expressions “paraíba masculina” (male paraíba), the nickname “macho woman”, derived from a classic by Gonzagão, which also came to refer to homosexual women. Female empowerment is considerably represented in the work. The history of this Brazilian state is marked by jagunços, cangaceiros and traditional colonels (they still exist). The colonels shown in the work are “modern”, they are colonels with ranks, coming from the military, very prominent today, both in politics and in criminal legal proceedings.
The death of two colonels and the rise of widows as protagonists in a power game mark an inversion of classic roles. How did you think about the feminine strength represented by Marcília and Valquíria, and what do you want to provoke in the reader by placing them at the center of this dispute?
Female empowerment is noticeable and growing, especially if we consider it from a historical perspective. The following line is attributed to Maria do Capitão, “Maria Bonita”, who said: “a lady is a colonel’s wife”. In the TV drama, a classic “lady”, a colonel’s wife, the widow Porcina, stands out. I remember a scene in which she had a request rejected by the mayor, who said that she no longer had anything to do with Colonel Malta (at this stage of the soap opera, she had broken up with the little master). Valquíria and Marcília show that they continue to have political power, even without their husbands.
The presence of hackers, religious figures, lawyers and even mobsters paints a multifaceted picture of society. How did you build this mosaic of characters who are so distinct and yet so connected by shady interests?
The omnipresence of the World Wide Web in today’s world is frightening, and it even affects people who are analog, offline. Hackers are the strongest symbols of this digital force. Interestingly, the influence of religious people is also growing, including in the National Congress. Shady interests promote alliances in the most diverse segments, turning enemies into friends, even if only temporarily. When the “mafia” is mentioned in Brazil, one must read, most of the time, “militias,” which, by the way, are full of military personnel, active or retired. Lawyers defend, in one lawsuit, arguments that they violently attacked in another. This is not a scathing criticism; it is the daily life of many, according to the area in which they work. There is an intersection between the most different segments of society when there are common interests, legal or illegal.
The title Vagrant Spirits carries a dose of mystery and provokes reflection. What does this name represent within the story, and why did you choose it as the symbol of the work?
There is a motivation to make it intriguing. The term Spirits is not used in the sense of “disembodied entities”, but rather in the sense of “spirit”, “nature”. The supernatural, in the work, does not appear to be relevant; paranormal elements are accidents in the narrative. “Vadios” refers to vagrancy, meaning both idleness and debauchery. Vadios, from “vadiar”, a verb that Jorge Amado often used in relation to Vadinho, in “Dona Flor e seus dois maridos”. I consider it well suited to the plot.
The plot seems to point to a widespread moral collapse, where institutions are fragile and power is the main currency. Do you believe that, in some way, the book dialogues with the political and social reality of today’s Brazil?
I believe so. The online world is a parallel but concomitant reality, and one that can be terrifying. There are frequent reports of fraud committed by public officials from all three branches of government. There are many reports about hacker attacks, including on the websites of agencies of the Judiciary. I am reminded, at this moment, of a popular saying that says “if you want to truly know someone, give them power”. I am not saying that this impression comes from the realization that bad news is what sells. But, judging by the facts that we have learned about through the mass media, institutions are fragile and corruption is prevalent.
You propose a strong critique of the superficiality of appearances and the hypocrisy of power relations. What kind of discomfort or uneasiness do you hope to arouse in those who read your work?
Although mockery and ridicule predominate in the book, I believe that the content of the work allows us to perceive that critical awareness deserves constant attention, even when faced with speeches and facts that seem funny. “Hypocrisy is a tribute that vice pays to virtue,” this phrase attributed to François de La Rochefoucauld , says a lot about the subject.
As the first volume of a trilogy, Stray Spirits opens many doors to new developments. What can you tell us about the next chapters of this saga, and how do you intend to delve deeper into the themes already presented?
In book 2, the state apparatus will have a more significant presence, through characters who represent political agents of the Three Powers: judges, prosecutors, police officers, mayors and municipal secretaries. In the volume that will conclude the trilogy, the police aspect will stand out in the plot, amid a violent dispute for parallel power, the power of criminal organizations.
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