Mário de Alencar
Encyclopedia
Mário Cochrane de Alencar (January 30, 1872 — December 8, 1925) was a Brazil
ian poet, short story writer, journalist, lawyer and novelist. He was one of the children of famous novelist José de Alencar
.
He occupied the 21st chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters
from 1905 until his death in 1925.
in 1872, to famous novelist José de Alencar
and Georgina Augusta Cochrane, daughter of a British aristocrat. He was the grandson of politician José Martiniano Pereira de Alencar, nephew of diplomat Leonel Martiniano de Alencar, the Baron
of Alencar, and brother of politician and diplomat Augusto de Alencar. He made his primary studies in the Colégio Pedro II
and graduated in Law
at the Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo
.
He collaborated for newspapers such as Brasilea (1917), Correio do Povo (1880), Gazeta de Notícias (1894), O Imparcial and A Imprensa (1900), Jornal do Commercio, O Mundo Literário, Renascença, Revista Brasileira (1895–1899) and the Official Magazine of the Brazilian Academy of Letters
. He wrote under the pen name
s Deina and John Alone in some of those.
He died in 1925.
alleges that Mário could have been an illegitimate son of Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis
, since both Mário and Joaquim suffered from epilepsy
, and José de Alencar never had this disease. Mário also called Machado de Assis "father" constantly in his letters addressed to him. This affair served as inspiration for Assis' famous novel Dom Casmurro
.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian poet, short story writer, journalist, lawyer and novelist. He was one of the children of famous novelist José de Alencar
José de Alencar
José Martiniano de Alencar was a Brazilian lawyer, politician, orator, novelist and dramatist. He is one of the most famous writers of the first generation of Brazilian Romanticism, writing historical, regionalist and Indianist romances — being the most famous The Guarani...
.
He occupied the 21st chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters
Academia Brasileira de Letras
Academia Brasileira de Letras is a Brazilian literary non-profit society established at the end of the 19th century by a group of 40 writers and poets inspired by the Académie Française. The first president, Machado de Assis, declared its foundation on December 15, 1896, with the statutes being...
from 1905 until his death in 1925.
Life
Alencar was born in Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
in 1872, to famous novelist José de Alencar
José de Alencar
José Martiniano de Alencar was a Brazilian lawyer, politician, orator, novelist and dramatist. He is one of the most famous writers of the first generation of Brazilian Romanticism, writing historical, regionalist and Indianist romances — being the most famous The Guarani...
and Georgina Augusta Cochrane, daughter of a British aristocrat. He was the grandson of politician José Martiniano Pereira de Alencar, nephew of diplomat Leonel Martiniano de Alencar, the Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
of Alencar, and brother of politician and diplomat Augusto de Alencar. He made his primary studies in the Colégio Pedro II
Colégio Pedro II (Rio de Janeiro)
Colégio Pedro II is a Federal Public School named after Pedro II of Brazil. It was founded on December 2 1837, and made official by Imperial decree on December 20 of the same year. It was named after the Emperor, since it was founded on his birthday....
and graduated in Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo
Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo
Faculty of Law of the University of São Paulo is an institution of higher education and research in the field of Law located in São Paulo, Brazil...
.
He collaborated for newspapers such as Brasilea (1917), Correio do Povo (1880), Gazeta de Notícias (1894), O Imparcial and A Imprensa (1900), Jornal do Commercio, O Mundo Literário, Renascença, Revista Brasileira (1895–1899) and the Official Magazine of the Brazilian Academy of Letters
Academia Brasileira de Letras
Academia Brasileira de Letras is a Brazilian literary non-profit society established at the end of the 19th century by a group of 40 writers and poets inspired by the Académie Française. The first president, Machado de Assis, declared its foundation on December 15, 1896, with the statutes being...
. He wrote under the pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
s Deina and John Alone in some of those.
He died in 1925.
Trivia
Chronicler Carlos Heitor ConyCarlos Heitor Cony
Carlos Heitor Cony is a journalist and author was born in Rio de Janeiro on March 14, 1926. He is classed as center-left and faced persecution under the military government in the 1960s. He is one of Brazil's leading journalists and novelists with ten of his works being filmed. He is a columnist at...
alleges that Mário could have been an illegitimate son of Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis
Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis
Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis , often known as Machado de Assis, Machado, or Bruxo do Cosme Velho , was a Brazilian novelist, poet, playwright and short story writer. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer of Brazilian literature, but he did not gain widespread popularity outside Brazil in...
, since both Mário and Joaquim suffered from epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
, and José de Alencar never had this disease. Mário also called Machado de Assis "father" constantly in his letters addressed to him. This affair served as inspiration for Assis' famous novel Dom Casmurro
Dom Casmurro
Dom Casmurro, written by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, was first published in Brazil in 1899. Like The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas and Quincas Borba, both by Machado de Assis, it is a masterpiece of realist literature. It is written as a fictional memoir by a distrusting, jealous husband...
.
Works
- Lágrimas (18881888 in literatureThe year 1888 in literature involved some significant new books.-New books:*Grant Allen - The Devil's Die**The White Man's Foot*Edward Bellamy - Looking Backward*Rolf Boldrewood - Robbery Under Arms...
) - Versos (19021902 in literatureThe year 1902 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:* April - Mark Twain purchases a home in Terrytown, New York.* June 4 - Mark Twain receives an honorary doctorate of literature degree from the University of Missouri....
) - Ode Cívica ao Brasil (19031903 in literatureThe year 1903 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:* October 24 - Mark Twain moves to Florence.* The first Goncourt Prize for French literature is awarded to John Antoine Nau....
) - Dicionário de Rimas (19061906 in literatureThe year 1906 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:* December 24 - Reginald Fessenden transmits the first radio program, a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech, broadcasts....
) - Alguns Escritos (19101910 in literatureThe year 1910 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*April - Halley's comet reappears , and Mark Twain dies on April 21, 1910, the day following the comet's perihelion. In his biography, Twain had written, "I came in with Halley's comet in 1835. It's coming again...
) - O Que Tinha Que Ser (19121912 in literatureThe year 1912 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Virginia Stephen marries Leonard Woolf.*Frieda von Richthofen meets D. H. Lawrence.-New books:*Mary Antin - The Promised Land*L...
) - Se Eu Fosse Político (19131913 in literatureThe year 1913 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Husayn Haykal publishes the first modern Egyptian novel Zaynab.-New books:* Alain-Fournier — Le Grand Meaulnes* L...
) - Catulo da Paixão Cearense (19191919 in literatureThe year 1919 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Winifred Holtby and Vera Brittain return to Somerville College, Oxford, to complete their education following war service.*Two paintings by E. E...
) - Contos e Impressões (19201920 in literatureThe year 1920 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Agatha Christie publishes her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, introducing the long-running character detective, Hercule Poirot....
)