João Pessoa Cultural Life: Literature, Art & Northeastern Identity
João Pessoa is the cultural capital of Paraíba — the birthplace of José Lins do Rego and Augusto dos Anjos, and a city whose arts scene punches above its weight in Brazilian literature and visual art
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José Lins do Rego: Sugar Plantation Literature
The novels of José Lins do Rego – which document the sugar plantation society of Paraíba in exquisite regional detail – are canonical Brazilian literature; The Espaço Cultural named after him is the city's main meeting place
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Augusto dos Anjos: Brazil's Cursed Poet
Augusto dos Anjos – born near João Pessoa in 1884 – wrote Brazil's most distinctively decadent poetry; his verse that mixes scientific terminology with existential despair is unlike anything else in Portuguese-language literature
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Paraíba Artisan Woodblock Printing
The woodblock printing tradition of the Northeast – used for corded literature covers and as art in its own right – is practiced by contemporary artists who continue the technique for gallery works and the tourist market
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Museu de Arte Assis Chateaubriand
The State Art Museum of João Pessoa has Brazilian modernist and contemporary works with particular strength in Northeast art — the collection documents artistic movements from the perspective of the Northeast
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The university's film and theater culture
The Universidade Federal da Paraíba in João Pessoa has a strong arts faculty — the student theater, film club and visual arts shows add a layer of intellectual cultural activity to the city's scene
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João Pessoa's Creative Tourism
The city's relatively low profile on Brazil's tourist circuit has preserved an authentic cultural scene - the local restaurants, small music venues and cultural centers feel genuine rather than tourist-oriented