Irony is a delight. Irresistible, at times. And for some temperaments, essential. But it is difficult not to see where it leads, or rather, it is difficult not to see the effects of its prolonged, regular practice on the practitioner’s personality. To understand this, it is enough to investigate where one’s motivation stems from. There are forms of irony that, in short, uplif...

It does not seem at all reliable to try to draw parallels between writers’ physical fitness and their intellectual character, and the proof of this is that, based solely on their writing, one can hardly glean any clues about the former. However, it is very interesting when we discover that a writer was also an athlete during his lifetime. The fact is less interesting for the ...

Perhaps only poetry can be compared to historiography in Brazil, both boasting a long tradition of authors of the highest caliber, representing the most varied styles and approaches. And it is curious to note that, despite this vast and excellent body of literature available, the average Brazilian is completely unaware of Brazil’s history. It is one of those paralyzing ironie...

Sometimes it is difficult to overcome the sense of vertigo and exhaustion that arises in those moments when the inexhaustible vastness of the fields of literature and the social sciences seems to reveal itself. A single interesting read puts five, ten others on the waiting list, which multiply into another twenty or thirty, leaving the poor student on his knees before the imp...

The difference between a young intellectual and a mature intellectual is this: the latter has the courage to take responsibility for what he says. It may seem like a small thing, but it is not. Young people are often logical and rebellious; they are capable of fierce and perceptive criticism; but more often than not, they lack the courage to voice it openly or to attach their...