Rare and Commonplace Flowers: The Story of Elizabeth Bishop and Lota de Macedo Soares

by Carmen L. Oliveira, Louis Schwartz (Foreword)

Rare and Commonplace Flowers —a Brazilian bestseller—tells the story of two women. Elizabeth Bishop, the Pulitzer Prize–winning American poet, sought artistic inspiration in Brazil. There she met and fell in love with Lota de Macedo Soares, a self-trained Brazilian architect. This dual biography—brilliantly researched, and written in a lively, novelistic style—follows their relationship from 1951 to 1967, the time when the two lived together in Brazil. The fact that these two women had an intimate relationship caused an uproar when it first came to public notice.

The relationship started out happily, yet ended tragically. In 1961, Soares became increasingly obsessed with building and administering Flamengo Park, Rio de Janeiro’s equivalent to New York City’s Central Park. Though she had been the driving force behind the park’s inception, the ultimate credit that was due her was stripped away because of petty politics and chicanery. As Soares’s career declined and Bishop’s flourished, their relationship crumbled.

Rare and Commonplace Flowers is a tale of two artists and two cultures, offering unique perspectives on both women and their work. Carmen L. Oliveira provides an unparalleled level of detail and insight, due to both her familiarity with Brazil as well as her access to the country’s artistic elite, many of whom had a direct connection with Bishop and Soares. Rare pictures of the two artists and their home bring this unique story to life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, LGBT, History, Brazil, Lesbian, Queer

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in dribs and drabs, probably the least conducive reading pattern for a novel-biography that requires a good bit of focus on Brazil and its politics (when I know nothing about Brazil and its politics). I was so pleased that this book gave vivid focus to the long-term relationship between Elizabeth Bishop and Lota de Macedo Soares. I knew nothing about Soares before reading this book, and she sounds like she was both a remarkable, creative, passionate person and a pain in the butt. I think the biographer fell in love with Soares a little because if I did not already love Bishop's poetry, I would feel like I knew her very little from this book. This is really Lota's book (which is as it should be, since Bishop usually gets all the attention!).

This book is in translation, and apparently, the original was very popular in Brazil. I wonder if more familiarity with this political context would have made this book more satisfying; Soares gets very involved in planning a park for Rio de Janiero. When that project goes straight to hell, and Soares' reputation with it, this aspect of the book becomes very interesting, but it takes a lot of pages and explanation before that, which I have to confess lost my interest a bit. Also, one of the conceits of the novel-biography is that much of it is being told from the point of view of Soares' (fictional) friends. This made me feel actually less intimate with the characters; because this format was almost a novel but not quite, I felt distanced from Bishop and Soares. The narration could never freely enter their minds, which is probably best for posterity and verisimilitude, but which was aesthetically awkward (for me) amidst all the other trappings of novel-dom.

The descriptions of the home Bishop and Soares shared in Samambaia, Brazil are just breathtaking. The book definitely made me want to go there.

[vitoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

quase não dá pra acreditar que aconteceu de verdade

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

~movie with Miranda ~ those two deserves 4848438 stars; the movie with Gloria Pires and M? Even more. But I didn’t like the writing much. It had very great potential which went a little wasted…

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nada que pudesse imaginar era tão bom quanto estar dentro do seu abraço, enquanto a chuva caía lá fora. Era, no outono de suas vidas, o prazer inesperado de quaresmeiras em flor.

[Theo · Rating 3 out of 5]

O livro é uma biografia da vida das duas que se deu por meio de cartas e depoimentos de terceiros e a autora conseguiu fazer disso um livro com uma história interessante, cativante e nada monótona. O problema, pra mim, é que eu só queria saber da vida da Elizabeth e do relacionamento das duas, eu não queria saber do trabalho da Lota, mas isso não é culpa da autora tendo em vista que o subtítulo é "a história de Lota de Macedo Soares e Elizabeth Bishop" e elas são mais do que o relacionamento que tiveram.

Lendo o livro eu consegui entender muito mais o relacionamento das duas e me simpatizar mais com a Lota. Diferentemente do filme, eu consegui não julgar nenhuma das duas como culpadas pelo fim do relacionamento e pelas partes desagradáveis. Elas se amaram muito e tiveram lindos dez anos extremamente felizes uma ao lado da outra, depois tudo foi ladeira a baixo e elas pararam de fazer bem uma pra outra e de querer estar ao lado da outra, mas nunca deixaram de se amar.

A Lota não planejou que a construção do parque do flamengo fosse a esgotar tanto e mudá-la tanto e a Elizabeth não poderia imaginar que perderiam o laço que tinham a ponto de pararem de se apoiar e dela ir à Boston dar aula com a esposa contrariada e as duas brigadas. A Elizabeth sempre foi muito frágil e eu nunca imaginei que partiria dela a iniciativa de ir embora, mesmo que tenha sido depois de sete anos. A Lota sempre foi muito forte e segura de si e não dá pra prever o quanto ela ficaria abalada com a questão do parque + as brigas. É muito triste que ela tenha sofrido ao ponto de se matar e perceber que as amigas da Lota culpam a Elizabeth por sua morte. Foi tudo muito trágico.

Por fim, eu queria que tivessem explorado mais a Mary Morse e a dinâmica das três tendo que conviver juntas. Das poucas vezes em que ela é mencionada, se parece muito com o que contam sobre ela no filme, tirando que no filme ela parece querer orquestrar o fim do relacionamento delas e no livro ela é uma figura amiga, mas o ciúmes, a filha e a estada dela em Samambaia é igual.

Foi bem importante pra mim ter lido o livro, apaixonada que sou pela Elizabeth, apesar de ainda ter muita coisa que eu quero saber, eu entendi muito mais o processo de escrita dela, as angustias, as lutas internas e o amor dela pela Lota, que é exatamente a proposta do livro.

[Debs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is mesmerizing but I agree w other reviewers that it gets bogged down by way too many details of the pomlitical shenanigans re the Park.
Personally i loved the film too!

[Kallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating story about two people who were so very different from each other and at first made each other happy . . . then did not. It's perhaps oversimplifying them to say that Soares was an extrovert and Bishop the opposite, very private and quiet. They complemented each other, Soares' cajoling and controlling the shy, alcoholic Bishop. This is so typical of relationships in which one partner is alcoholic -- relationships ultimately bound to fall apart. Soares venture into a public project was equally disastrous for her. Ultimately it is Bishop who comes out intact, because her art is hers alone, not dependent on cooperation from others. Soares fought a losing, obsessive battle against politics and corruption, continual niggling criticism against a project dear to her heart. I can understand her dogged devotion to trying to realize her own dream (Bishop did not, but should have.) The details of Soares struggle seem all too familiar: a woman against men who do not want her to succeed. Between that and the failure of the relationship with Bishop, who grew tired of what they did to each other . . . Too much. I can't help thinking that Lota Soares deserved better in every regard. The tone of this book seems to me very fitting; it is fondly and worriedly gossipy, trying to be fair to both Bishop and Soares yet not diminish faults and hurtful behavior.

[Anna G Estrada]

I do prefer the film, there are a lot of wasted pages in the book. The performance of Gloria Pires and Miranda Otto was extremely amazing. The way they make a match besides both having different personalities. Doña Lota was a lovely woman who had lots of love to give to everyone and of course, to her partner. Elizabeth was shy, she felt drained on the inside, and was very difficult for her to demonstrate love, even for Lota. The reason was the abandonment she suffered when were a little girl and the impression she kept in her mind watching how her mother is driving to a mental hospital. It was a trauma that Elizabeth could not overcome, maybe it was the reason for her alcoholism. I believe Lota really loved Elizabeth and need her deeply to feel complete, but Mary was unable to accept that Lota didn't love her as her girl anymore and was guilty of Lota's suicide. Mary was a liar, she always wanted to take them apart, she even said to her little daughter that Elizabeth was an alcoholic. I love Elizabeth's poem An Art. I listen to it read by Miranda Otto almost once a week and the soundtrack was splendid. All I can say is that Mary was guilty of that disgrace

[Thais · Rating 5 out of 5]

O título do livro, ao se referir a uma ilustração que Carlos Leão fez a Lota de Macedo Soares sobre personalidades da sociedade carioca da década de 40, prenuncia sua verdadeira natureza. Mais que uma história de amor, o livro relata acontecimentos políticos e sociais do Brasil, em especial do Rio de Janeiro, em meados do século XX.

Gostei muito de como a autora logra transportar o leitor à época, utilizando-se de palavras e expressões antigas para compor sua narrativa. Outro ponto memorável é este se configurar em um livro escrito por uma mulher sobre o amor entre duas mulheres, algo não muito comum na Literatura, menos ainda na Brasileira.

Em suma, o livro é cheio de detalhamentos de extensas manobras políticas, mas também encerra belíssimas e deliciosas descrições de Botânica, da comunhão com a natureza e das preciosas singelezas do cotidiano a duas. É como se a autora tivesse encontrado nisso uma forma de contrapor a serenidade da vida em Samambaia, Petrópolis, ao recrudescimento da vida no Rio de Janeiro.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for those who are interested on a true, heartfelt, painful lesbian story in the 50s. How a bold Brazilian self-taught architect Lota de Macedo Soares, romantically involved with Pulitzer prize winner Elizabeth Bishop, was destroyed eventually by her multiple passions: the poet and Aterro do Flamengo. More than that, this is also a historical portrait of Brazil back in the mid of 20th century. The ironies I Brazilian politics are still there. There's a part that indeed, Lota gets too drained by the Aterro. But in my opinion, this was her character. She fought hard for what she wanted. Plus, imagine yourself being a woman fighting in a man's world in an underdeveloped country for her place, and also fighting for it to become closer to the great Western countries of her time. Great book overall.

[Laurie Byro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what to say about this, gives so little information on Bishop, much about Lota de Macedo Soares, but beautiful descriptions of Brazil and the eccentricities of the politics, that I knew and still don't understand. I DO understand why Bishop staying there so long, Lota was such an interesting, dynamic woman, she leaps off the page, but alas two ego driven women with drink/mental issues.
You want a happy ending for each of them, and that never quite happens, maybe the happy ending was the middle of both of their lives. Well written, but prolly lost something in translation. The movie is excellent and accurate to the book.

[Larissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐

a história do romance de duas mulheres durante uma época em que isso não podia nem ser realmente falado em voz alta é bem interessante de se acompanhar mas a personalidade das personagens em si (elite branca vou resumir assim) e a escrita um pouco prolixa não fizeram eu me apegar tanto nessa história

[beatriz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

o livro é sobre as duas, mas é focado bastante na construção do Parque do Flamengo, e eu sempre tive curiosidade em saber dessa história e feito que fez a Lota ficar tão conhecida

acho que quem decide ler esperando muito romance não vai gostar mesmo, a história é bem dividida entre as vidas individuais das duas que, aliás, tinham dinâmicas bem diferentes

[Teri A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun.

[Suellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amei

[Rafaela Binda · Rating 4 out of 5]

demorou mais foi

[Masha Lagonell · Rating 5 out of 5]

La historia más hermosa, feliz y triste del mundo.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Is it lack of imagination that makes us come
to imagined places, not just stay at home?"

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this 2 1/2 stars if I could. As an admirer of Bishop's poetry, I was curious about her great international love story with Lota de Macedo Soares. It's clear that the book is meticulously researched, and relies heavily on primary sources, but I found Oliveira's narrative tiresome. Perhaps something is lost in the translation, perhaps the folksy interjections of "sit back, dear reader, this story is long and heartbreaking" appeal to others, but I'd prefer a more traditional biography. I also found the account of Lota's work on the Brazilian Aterro tedious; it plays a central role in their relationship, but the space in the text could have been greatly reduced. All in all, I'm glad this book was written, but wish it had been written by someone else or had a better editor.

[Lud Oliveira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assisti o filme primeiro, gostei muito e só depois fui descobrir que era baseado em livro. Obviamente, quis logo ler o livro também! E me surpreendi porque a história do filme diverge em vários pontos da do livro. Tem umas intrigas a mais, a presença da Mary é mais forte, alguns eventos ocorrem em ordem diferente. Gostei ainda mais do livro, que aborda mais a Bishop e a Lota em seus caminhos. É comovente o final, e uma pena o distanciamento que foi ocorrendo entre elas. As duas protagonistas são maravilhosas.

[Yolanda Ornellas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many political parts on this book. I didn't love it. I only finished it because I can't stand to start a book and not finish it, even if it's boring as hell. At the end, there's a little less politics and a bit more of the story of Bishop and Lota's relationship, so I liked it better. Really sad story though.

[Jords · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started, I could not stop reading this deliciously written biographic novel. I regret, however, that much of the richness of the book and the language resources used cannot be translated even for a very good translator for they are very typical of the Portuguese language.

[Clau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recomendación de Berkana moi acertada. Narrativa (non ensaio) da vida xuntas de Elizabeth Bishop e Lota de Macedo Soares. Gustoume un montón a maneira na que está escrito (e todo o dramita que hai, para que negalo).

[Barb H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to learn about Elizabeth Bishop's life. Learned a great deal about Brazil in the 1950's, 60's.

[Jessica]

dont know how they made the translation so good, but it's so so good. better than any other text i've read about Bishop, in that it has some of her flavoring and isn't concerned with evaluating.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Que fim tão trágico.

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Bishop. Love this story. Worth the read if you can get past the very bad translation errors.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wodnerful story! Small book packed with information!

[ND · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems to have lost something in the translation from Portuguese, but still very interesting...

[l · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t read this. Novelizing Bishop’s life seems disrespectful and wrong.