João Pessoa, 1927 – Recife (Brasil), 2014
By Fernanda Gdynia Morotti
A novelist, playwright, poet, and essayist, Ariano Suassuna was the creator of the Armorial Movement and one of the leading figures in Brazilian literature, a defender of popular culture, and, in particular, an unwavering promoter of Northeastern culture.
He was the son of João Suassuna, governor of Paraíba from 1924 to 1928, and Rita de Cássia Vilar. He was three years old when his father was assassinated due to political motivations, just before the Revolution of 1930. Ariano was married to Zélia de Andrade Lima, his first girlfriend and lifelong companion. They had six children.
In 1942, he moved to Recife and, the following year, wrote Uma Mulher Vestida de Sol, his first play, which was presented at the Pernambuco Student Theatre and won the competition. He graduated in Law in 1950 and dedicated himself to practicing law, without interrupting his intense literary production. In 1955, he wrote one of his most successful works for the theatre, Auto da Compadecida, which won the gold medal from the Brazilian Association of Theatre Critics and has been translated and adapted into nine languages.
Ariano founded the Armorial Movement, which aimed to produce erudite art from elements of popular culture in Northeast Brazil. The movement was launched in Recife in 1970 with the concert “Three Centuries of Northeastern Music – from Baroque to Armorial.” He was elected to the Brazilian Academy of Letters in 1990, occupying chair 32. He was also a member of the Pernambuco Academy of Letters and the Paraíba Academy of Letters.
He had the idea to construct an open-air sanctuary in Serra do Catolé, in São João do Belmonte, in the sertão of Pernambuco. This region was the site of a movement in the early 20th century led by the self-proclaimed “king” João Antônio dos Santos. The story inspired his book O Romance d’A Pedra do Reino e o Príncipe do Sangue do Vai-e-Volta, published in 1971. The sanctuary features 16 giant stone sculptures that represent the sacred and the profane, including images of Jesus, Our Lady, characters from the fanatics’ movement, and figures from the writer’s novel.
Ariano taught Aesthetics at the Federal University of Pernambuco and served as the state secretary of Culture under Miguel Arraes (1994 to 1998) and during the first term of his nephew, Governor Eduardo Campos (2007 to 2011). In 2011, he was appointed head of Special Advisory for Eduardo Campos. He defined his political positions by stating: “Those who emphasize justice are on the left. Those who focus on efficiency and profit are on the right.” In the 2014 elections, he declared support for Dilma Rousseff, despite his nephew’s candidacy for president.
On July 18, 2014, he presented his famous lecture-performance at the 24th Winter Festival of Garanhuns (PE). Five days later, on July 23, he passed away due to complications from a stroke (cerebrovascular accident). He was 87 years old.
Other works:
Theatre: Cantam as Harpas de Sião ou O Desertor de Princesa (1948); Os Homens de Barro (1949); Auto de João da Cruz (1950); Torturas de um Coração (1951); O Arco Desolado (1952); O Castigo da Soberba (1953); O Rico Avarento (1954); O Casamento Suspeitoso (1957); O Santo e a Porca (1957); O Homem da Vaca e o Poder da Fortuna (1958); A Pena e a Lei (1959); Farsa da Boa Preguiça (1960); A Caseira e a Catarina (1962); As Conchambranças de Quaderna (1987).
Romance: A História de Amor de Fernando e Isaura (1956); História d’O Rei Degolado nas Caatingas do Sertão – Ao Sol da Onça Caetana (1976).
Poetry: O Pasto Incendiado (1945-1970); Ode (1955); Sonetos com Mote Alheio (1980); Sonetos de Albano Cervonegro (1985); Poemas (Antologia) (1999); Os Homens de Barro (1949).
