Customer Reviews

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

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This book is a treasure, a delightful read. It speaks to a broad range of interests. Fans of Elizabeth Bishop will enjoy learning about her relationship with Lota and her experiences during the 17 years she lived in Brazil. If you are interested in Brazilian history and politics, you will find a rare account of the early sixties in Rio de Janeiro, as the country headed toward military dictatorship. It is also a marvelous and tragic love story.

As an American living in Brazil for the past 20 years, I found it a fascinating account of how Lota and her country provided a haven for Bishop, an orphan prone to writer's block and alcoholism. Rare and Commonplace Flowers, read in addition to Bishop's letters, opens a whole new window on her writing. Ever since I read the original in Portuguese, in 1995, I have been convinced that it merits the attention of non-Portuguese speakers. Thanks to the excellent translation of Neil Besner, you've got it!

Rare and Commonplace Flowers innovates in the scholarly field. A carefully documented biography, it reconstructs step by step the story of Elizabeth Bishop and Lota de Macedo Soares.Carmen Oliveira's literary achievement lies in conveying this research of undeniable academid value in a very agreeable piece of storytelling.A must for Women's Studies, the book is recommended to anyone who enjoys a good read.

This was a good read (187 pgs) giving one an understanding of the strong bond between two remarkable women: one an American poet and the other a Brazilian landscape architect. I never would have heard about Lota and what she did for the building of Flamengo Park in Rio de Janerio (similar to Central Park in NY) had it not been for an article about her in Garden Design magazine Garden Design (1-year auto-renewal). This book shares an inside look at these two women, their circle of friends and acquaintances, and their struggles both personal and professional within their selected fields.