A renovação da literatura piauiense: cultura e anseios modernistas na Revista Caderno de Letras Meridiano

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the trajectory and importance of the literary magazine Caderno de Letras Meridiano for the literary historiography of Piauí, showing the modernist aspirations present in the publication. Published in Teresina between October 1949 and December 1950, this periodical is important for Piauí’s literature, considering that it represented, on a local level, the desire for the aesthetic improvement that the country was going through. From the second half of the twentieth century on, Brazil is marked by a period of optimism, caused by the changes that occurred in a worldwide and national scenario, such as the end of the Second World War, the end of Getúlio Vargas’ New State and, consequently, the beginning of a redemocratization that directly affected the spheres of Brazilian society. As a reflection of the national prospect in Piauí, more precisely in Teresina, there is also a certain uproar in the sense of making the capital follow the modernization occurring in the rest of the country. In the cultural sphere, there is a longing for innovation from young students. In order to gain visibility in Teresina’s artistic milieu and, thus, for them to be recognized nationally, the literary magazine Cadernos de Letras Meridiano was founded by H. Dobal, O. G. Rego de Carvalho and M. Paulo Nunes. At a time when cultural stagnation prevailed, Caderno de Letras Meridiano gave a new lease of life to regional literature, confirming its revolutionary character, therefore, being a turning point. This study was an exploratory research, with bibliographical and documentary sources. As a theoretical contribution, we used authors such as Silva, R. (2006); Andrade (2009); Berman (2007); Nascimento (2015); Queiroz (1998) (2008) (2011); Araújo (2008); Candido (2000b); Paz (1984) and others.