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Waiting for Rain: The Politics and Poetry of Drought in Northeast Brazil
When droughts hit northeastern Brazil, thousands of rural workers are forced to abandon their homes for the cities in search of work. The double impact of drought and corruption—with politicians taking advantage of drought to buy votes and pilfer government accounts—contributes to an endless cycle of human suffering.
In order to understand the impact of drought and the phenomenon of drought politics, Nicholas Gabriel Arons goes beyond traditional social-science scholarship to sources such as novels, poetry, popular art, and oral history. For many people in the region, these artistic renditions of life are, ironically, a better reflection of reality than political rhetoric, government archives, and newspaper accounts—even though they are infused with myth or hyperbole.
Drawing on interviews with artists and poets and on his own experiences in the Brazilian Northeast, Arons has written a poignant account of how drought has impacted the region’s culture. He intertwines ecological, social, and political issues with the words of some of Brazil’s most prominent authors and folk poets to show how themes surrounding drought—hunger, migration, endurance, nostalgia for the land—have become deeply embedded in Nordeste identity. Through this tapestry of sources, Arons shows that what is often thought of as a natural phenomenon is actually the result of centuries of social inequality, political corruption, and unsustainable land use.
Waiting for Rain dramatically depicts a region still suffering from austere social and political realities, where drought—even during rainy seasons—is ubiquitous in the hearts and minds of its residents. A book of hope and resistance, myth and reality, and suffering and salvation, it is also a personal narrative of self-discovery, tracing a young man’s struggle to understand how human tragedy on a grand scale can exist alongside natural beauty.
In order to understand the impact of drought and the phenomenon of drought politics, Nicholas Gabriel Arons goes beyond traditional social-science scholarship to sources such as novels, poetry, popular art, and oral history. For many people in the region, these artistic renditions of life are, ironically, a better reflection of reality than political rhetoric, government archives, and newspaper accounts—even though they are infused with myth or hyperbole.
Drawing on interviews with artists and poets and on his own experiences in the Brazilian Northeast, Arons has written a poignant account of how drought has impacted the region’s culture. He intertwines ecological, social, and political issues with the words of some of Brazil’s most prominent authors and folk poets to show how themes surrounding drought—hunger, migration, endurance, nostalgia for the land—have become deeply embedded in Nordeste identity. Through this tapestry of sources, Arons shows that what is often thought of as a natural phenomenon is actually the result of centuries of social inequality, political corruption, and unsustainable land use.
Waiting for Rain dramatically depicts a region still suffering from austere social and political realities, where drought—even during rainy seasons—is ubiquitous in the hearts and minds of its residents. A book of hope and resistance, myth and reality, and suffering and salvation, it is also a personal narrative of self-discovery, tracing a young man’s struggle to understand how human tragedy on a grand scale can exist alongside natural beauty.
251 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 8, 2008
A heartfelt, lyrical journey through the Brazilian sertao, and Arons is at his best when he allows himself to appear as our hapless tourguide; his (mis)adventures as a traveler and a researcher can be appreciated by anyone who has ever made it up as they went along in a country where their presence alone provoked curiosity, fascination, and confusion. Arons is not just hapless, however--he is also sincere, thoughtful, analytical, reflective, and driven by profound respect for all those he encounters and equally profound anger at the injustices that shape their lives. His book is a testament to the degree to which art & poetry can offer a far more honest & complete account of the past than any official history might (especially in those places where most people's lives & experiences are low on the list of official priorities, which is to say, anywhere). My favorite line: "His voice rolled, flowed, and sounded like I imagine God's would if She were a man and a Brazilian." Legal.
March 2, 2008
Interspersed with some truly hilarious personal adventure stories is a bizarrely-organized account of what's perpetuating the "drought" phenomenon in NE Brazil. Many times I found myself wondering "wait, haven't I read this same tidbit before?" or "wouldn't this have shed a lot more light on the situation in the previous chapter?" That said, the author's interest and success in weaving the region's art into the story was impressive. I learned quite a bit, and wish I'd read this book BEFORE my trip instead of after.
March 29, 2008
Fantastic, it's made me laugh and cry all on one page! Really an amazing book that wraps all the desperation and hope of discriminate poverty (is there any other kind?)into one intertwining and inseparable reality. READ IT!!!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews