Stories on a String: The Brazilian Literatura de Cordel

Candace Slater’s Stories on a String: The Brazilian Literatura de Cordel introduces readers to one of the most vibrant yet understudied traditions of popular literature in the modern world. Rooted in the centuries-old Iberian ballad and chapbook heritage but transformed within the cultural, linguistic, and historical context of Northeastern Brazil, the cordel—or folheto—emerged as the primary reading material of working-class communities. These verse pamphlets, sold in marketplaces and perf...