Personal:
Mark J. Curran, Professor Emeritus
School of International Languages and Cultures
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona 85287
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web site: https://currancordelconnection.com
Born in Abilene, Kansas.
Education:
Ph.D. Saint Louis University. St. Louis, Missouri, 1968.
Major: Spanish and Latin American Studies.
Minor: Luso-Brazilian Studies.
B.S.B.A. Rockhurst College, Kansas City, Missouri, 1963.
Major: Business Management. Minor: Spanish.
Study abroad. Universidad Nacional de México, 1962.
Teaching and Work Experience:
On Board Cultural Specialist. Lindblad – National Geographic Expedition, Ushuaia, Argentina, to Brazil, to Cabo Verde and Madeira, March-April, 2016.
On Board Cultural Specialist and Historian. Lindblad-National Geogaphic Expedition, Cabo Verde to Brazil, Salvador to Buenos Aires, October, 2014.
On Board Cultural Specialist and Historian. Lindblad-National Geographic "Epic South America" Expedition, October, 2013.
Spanish for Adults, Diverse Cultural Programs, Pine River Library, Bayfield, Colorado, 2004-2017.
2002-2011. Part-time teaching, Spanish, Arizona State
2002. Professor Emeritus. Arizona State University
1968-2002. Coordinator of Portuguese Section, DLL, ASU
1983 to 2002. Professor of Spanish-Portuguese, ASU
1985-1992. Assistant Chair, Department of Foreign Languages, ASU
1987. Teaching in ASU Summer Program, Spain
1973-1982. Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, ASU
1976-1977. On-site Director of the Arizona State University-Universidad Francisco Marroquín Summer School, Guatemala City.
1968-1972. Assistant Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, ASU
1966-1967. Fulbright-Hays Research Fellow in Brazil
1963-1966. National Defense Education Act Graduate Fellow in Spanish and Latin American Studies, Saint Louis University.
Honors and Awards:
Staff for "Epic South America," Lindblad Expeditions - National Geographic, 2013, 2014, 2016.
Invited Speaker. Brazilian Endowment of the Arts. New York, 2012, 2017.
Invited Speaker. Library of Congress Symposium on the "Literatura de Cordel," Washington, D.C., 2011
Invited Guest: Primeiro Congresso Internacional da Literatura de Cordel, Fundação José Américo, João Pessoa, PB, 2005.
Invited Guest: 6th Congress on Oral History: USP, São Paulo, 2002.
Invited Guest: 100 Years of Cordel. São Paulo:SESC-POMPEIA, São Paulo, abril-2001
St.Thomas More Academy of Scholars. Rockhurst University, October, 2000.
Invited guest, Brown University, Department of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, with Roberto Reis and Sérgio Miceli. "Brazilianists and Interdisciplinary Research." October 26, 1994.
ASU Travel for Research Grant, 2000, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1991.
Invited guest: seminar and "lançamento" of book Cuíca de Santo Amaro: Poeta-Repórter da Bahia, Salvador da Bahia, Oct. 1990.
Research Grant for Brazil, American Philosophical Society, 1990.
Invited Participant, Seminário de Língua e Literatura Popular, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Nov. 1989.
National Selection Committee for Fulbright-Hays Research Grants for Faculty and Students, American Republics, Washington, D.C. January, 1989.
Arizona State University Mini-Grant, January, 1989.
Invited Participant at the First International Congress on Northeastern Literature, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, September, 1988.
Arizona State University Small Grants Award, 1986.
Sebastião Nunes Batista Prize. Rio de Janeiro, 1985. Given for the essay "Grande Sertão: Veredas e a Literatura de Cordel." Fundação Casa de Rui Barbosa-Livraria José Olympio Edta.-Biblioteca "Orígenes Lessa".
Arizona State University Small Grants Award, 1985.
National Selection Committee, Fulbright-Hays Research Grants for Students, American Republics, San Francisco, 1981.
Invited Guest in "Commemoration of 50 Years of Literature of Jorge Amado," Salvador da Bahia, November, 1981. Publication of the monograph "Jorge Amado e a Literatura de Cordel."
American Philosophical Society Research Grant, 1981.
Arizona State University Summer Research Grant, 1981.
Dean's Research Grant, College of Liberal Arts, ASU, 1980.
Arizona State University Summer Research Grant, 1979.
American Philosophical Society Research Grant, 1978.
Governing Board of Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies, 1974-1977.
Guest Participant of the First International Congress of Portuguese Philology, Rio de Janeiro, 1973.
Arizona State University Summer Research Grants, 1972, 1970, 1969.
Fulbright-Hays Dissertation Research Grant, Brazil, 1966-1967.
NDEA IV Graduate Fellowship, Saint Louis University, 1963-1966.
Honors in Business Management, Rockhurst College, 1963.
Memberships:
American Association of Teachers of Spanish-Portuguese, 1968 to 1998.
Brazilian Studies Association.
University, College or Departmental Committees-Administration:
College of Liberal Arts Research-Travel Grants Committee, 1998-1999
Coordinator of Portuguese Section, DLL, since 1968
College of Liberal Arts, Planning and Budget Committee 1996
Spanish and Portuguese Seven-Year Review Committee, Portuguese Section, Fall, 1995.
Dean's Advisory Council, College of Liberal Arts 1986-1989
DFL Personnel Committee 1985-1996, chair 1991-92.
DFL Search Committee for Chair, 1983-4
Spanish Graduate Committee 1990, 1982-4
University Fulbright-Hays Committee, 1978-1980
Liberal Arts Committee on Quality of Teaching, three years
Advisory Council for Center of Latin American Studies, 1976-1999
Faculty Advisor of Brazil Club, 1975.
Library Acquisitions, Brazilian Literature and Culture, 1968...
Departmental Policies Committee, two terms
Ph.D. Dissertation Committees, second or third reader, frequent. Master's Thesis Committees, reader, frequent.
Travel and Study:
Argentina, 2013, 2014, 2016, staff on Lindblad-National Geographic Expedition.
Brazil: 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1978, 1981, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2013, 2014, 2016. Research, awards, publications, congresses, staff work for Lindblad Expeditions - National Geographic.
Peru. Travel in 1967.
Mexico. Study and travel in 1962, 1976, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000.
Colombia. Sabbatical study and travel in 1975.
Guatemala. Travel, research and teaching in 1962, 1969, 1970, 1976, and 1977.
Portugal. Travel and research, 1987, 2016.
Spain. Travel, teaching and research, 1987.
Uruguay, Staff on Lindlblad Expeditions - National Geographic, "Epic South America," 2013, 2014.
Madeira (Portugal) 2016.
Languages:
English (Native Speaker), Spanish, Portuguese.
Papers Read at Major Conferences:
"The Influence of the Literatura de Cordel on Brazilian Literature: O Auto da Compadecida by Ariano Suassuna." Rocky Mountain Council of Latin American Studies, B.Y.U., 1970.
"The Popular Poet as Spokesman of the Masses." Rocky Mountain Council of Latin American Studies, ASU, 1971.
"Twentieth Century Brazilian Literature: Influence of the Poetry of the Masses (Mário de Andrade, Jorge Amado, João Guimarães Rosa and Ariano Suassuna)." UCLA Semana de Arte Moderna Symposium, Los Angeles, 1972.
"The 'Journalistic Page' of the Brazilian Popular Poet." Arizona Latin American Studies Conference, ASU, 1973.
"Grande Sertão: Veredas e a Literatura de Cordel". Primeiro Congresso Internacional de Filologia Portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro, 1973.
"A Cultura Popular e Grande Sertão: Veredas." University of Southern California Symposium on Luso-Brazilian Oral Traditions: Verse Forms. Los Angeles, 1975.
"Rodolfo Coelho Cavalcante: Brazilian Popular Poet and Propagandist for the Literatura de Cordel." Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies, Fresno, 1975.
"An Overview of the Brazilian Ballad Tradition: the Cantador and the Poeta Popular of the Literatura de Cordel." American Folklore Society, Philadelphia, 1976.
Chairman for "Current Trends in Brazilian Culture" at the Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies Conference, Santa Clara, 1977.
"The Cangaço Theme in the Literatura de Cordel." Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies, Fullerton, 1978.
Director of Workshop on Portuguese Language, Annual Meeting of the AATSP, San Diego, 1978.
"The Literatura de Cordel Today: the Poets' Point of View." Symposium on the Popular Dimensions of Brazil, U.C.L.A., Los Angeles, 1979.
"Jorge Amado e a Literatura de Cordel." South Central Modern Language Association, New Orleans, 1979.
"Brazil's Literatura de Cordel: its Distribution and Adaptation to the Brazilian Mass Market." Conference on Latin American Popular Culture, El Paso and Juarez, 1981.
"Cuíca de Santo Amaro: Controvérsia no Cordel." V Symposium on Portuguese Traditions, U.C.L.A. Los Angeles, 1982.
"O Poeta na Literatura de Cordel: a Visão de Rodolfo Coelho Cavalcante." Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association, AGSIM, Glendale, 1983.
"A Política na Literatura de Cordel: a Visão de Rodolfo Coelho Cavalcante." Rocky Mountain Council of Latin American Studies, University of Arizona, Tucson, 1984.
"The Image of the United States in Brazil's Literatura de Cordel." Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies, Cal. State University-Los Angeles, 1984.
"The Brazilian Democratic Dream: the View from Cordel." Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies. U. of Nevada-Las Vegas, 1985.
"New Cordel in Brazil - 1985." Latin American Popular Culture Conference, Tulane University, New Orleans, 1986.
"AIDS, Homosexuality and Roberta Close: What Do You Say If You Are Catholic, Conservative and Write Cordel?" Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies, ASU, 1987.
"Brazil after Tancredo: a Chronicle from Cordel." Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies, ASU, 1987.
"Jorge Amado e a Literatura de Cordel". Primeiro Congresso Internacional de Literatura Nordestina, UFEPE, Recife, 1988.
"A Visão dos Estados Unidos na Literatura de Cordel." Seminário de Língua e Literatura Popular, UFEPB, João Pessoa, 1989.
"Cuíca de Santo Amaro: Poeta-Repórter da Bahia." Debate on the occasion of the publication of the book in Salvador da Bahia, Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado, Pelourinho, Salvador, Oct. 1990.
"Reporting in Brazil: Folk-Popular Poetry. (Summary of 20th Century Themes)." Meeting of the Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies, Glendale (AGSIM), October 16, 1992.
Brazil's Literatura de Cordel ["String Literature"]: Poetic Chronicle and Popular History. 4th Conference on Studies in Latin American Popular Culture. Brown University, October, 1994.
"A Visão Internacional do "Jornal do Povo": a Literatura de Cordel do Brasil." RMLAS-PCCLAS Meeting. Las Vegas, Nevada, March 5-9, 1995.
"Os Desafios da Nova Ordem Mundial: a Visão desde o Cordel". V Congreso do SOLAR, São Paulo, USP, 1996.
"Uma Nova Leitura da História Brasileira -- História segundo o Cordel." Symposium on Portuguese Traditions. UCLA, Los Angeles, April, 1998.
"O Terceiro Mundo Satiriza o Primeiro Mundo na Literatura de Cordel." Conference on Satire and Humor, ASU, Tempe, October, 1999.
"Peripécias de um pesquisador ingênuo no Nordeste dos anos 1960." BRASA Annual Meeting, Recife: June, 2000
"História do Brasil no Cordel." 100 Anos de Cordel. SESC-POMPEIA, São Paulo, 2001.
"A Guerra de Canudos e a Literatura de Cordel". 6th Congresso Brasileiro de História Oral. São Paulo: USP, May, 2002.
"Uma Dívida a Pagar." Primeiro Congresso Internacional da Literatura de Cordel. João Pessoa, Fundação Casa de José Américo, 2005.
"A Debt to Pay." "Cordel" Symposium at the Library of Congress Symposium on "Cordel." Washington, D.C. 2011.
"Adventures of a ‘Gringo’ Researcher in Brazil in the 1960s. Brazilian Endowment of the Arts Symposium on "Cordel," New York, 2012.
Various lectures/ presentations on board the National Geographic Explorer for Lindblad-National Geographic Expedition, "Epic South America," 2013, 2014, 2016
Publications:
Dissertation: "Leandro Gomes de Barros and the Literatura de Cordel of Northeastern Brazil." University of Michigan Microfilms, 1969.
Books:
Letters from Brazil IV. Trafford Publishing, 2021.
The Collection. Trafford Publishing, USA, 2021.
Rural Odyssey III Dreams Fulfilled and Back to Abilene. Trafford Publishing, USA,2021.
Portugal and Spain on the “International Adventurer.” USA, 2020.
Pre – Columbian Mexico, Plans, Pitfalls, and Perils. USA, 2020.
Around Brazil on the “International Adventurer” – A Panegyric in Fiction. USA, 2020.
A Rural Odyssey II – Abilene – Digging Deeper. USA, 2020.
Letters from Brazil III – From Glad Times to Sad Times. USA, 2019.
A Rural Odyssey – Living Can Be Dangerous. USA, 2019.
Letters from Brazil II – Research, Romance and Dark Days Ahead. USA, 2019.
A Professor Takes to the Sea. Volume II. Trafford, 2018.
-- 2014 – Brazil to Buenos Aires
-- 2016 – Atlantic Odyssey – Ushuaia, Argentina to Madeira via Rio de Janeiro, Fernando de Noronha, Cape Verde, and At Sea
A Professor Takes to the Sea. Volume I. Trafford, 2018.
-- Learning the Ropes on the National Geographic Explorer – Epic South America 2013
Letters from Brazil – a Cultural-Historical Narrative Made Fiction. Trafford, 2017.
Diário de um Pesquisador Norte-Americano no Brasil III. Trafford, 2016.
Diary of a North American Researcher in Brazil III. Trafford, 2016.
It Happened in Brazil – Chronicle of a North American Researcher in Brazil II. Trafford, 2015, 302 pp.
Aconteceu no Brasil – Crônicas de um Pesquisador Norte-Americano no Brasil II. Trafford, 2015, 276 pp.
"Relembrando – A Velha Literatura de Cordel e a Voz dos Poetas." Trafford, 2014, 396 pp.
Travel and Teaching in Portugal and Spain - A Photographic Journey. Trafford, 2014, 276 pp.
Fifty Years of Research on Brazil – A Photographic Journey. Trafford, 2014, 236 pp.
Portrait of Brazil in the Twentieth Century – The Universe of the "Literatura de Cordel." Trafford, 2013, 280 pp.
Travel, Research and Teaching in Guatemala and Mexico. In Quest of the Pre-Columbian Heritage. Volume I. Guatemala. Trafford. 2013, 162 pp.
Travel,Research and Teaching in Guatemala and Mexico. In Quest of the Pre-Columbian Heritage. Volume II. Mexico. Trafford. 2013, 172 pp.
"A Trip to Colombia. Highlights of Its Spanish Colonial Heritage. Trafford.2013, 159 pp.
"Peripécias de um Pesquisador ‘Gringo’ no Brasil nos Anos 1960." Trafford Publishing, 2012, 227 pp.
"Adventures of a ‘Gringo’ Researcher in Brazil in the 1960s." Trafford Publishing, 20l2, 237 pp.
"Retrato do Brasil em Cordel." São Paulo: Ateliê Editorial. 2011, 365 pp.
"Coming of Age with the Jesuits." Trafford Publishing, 2011, 151 pp.
"The Farm." Trafford Publishing, 2010, 189 pp.
"Brazil’s Folk-Popular Poetry – ‘A Literatura de Cordel’ A Bilingual Anthology in English and Portuguese. Trafford Publishing, 2010, 159 pp.
Cuíca de Santo Amaro. Introdução e Antologia. São Paulo: Hedra Edta., 2000, 131 pp.
História do Brasil em Cordel. São Paulo: Editora da Universidade de São Paulo, 1998, 288 pps. 2a. ed.2001.
La Literatura de Cordel Brasileña. Antología Bilingüe. La Lira de Licario. Madrid: Editorial Orígenes, 1991, 211 pp.
Cuíca de Santo Amaro: Poeta - Repórter da Bahia. Salvador da Bahia: Fundação Casa de Jorge Amado, 1990, 197 p.
A Presença de Rodolfo Coelho Cavalcante na Moderna Literatura de Cordel. Rio de Janeiro: Nova Fronteira-Fundação Casa de Rui Barbosa, 1987. 324 pp.
Jorge Amado e a Literatura de Cordel. Bahia: Fundação Cultural do Estado da Bahia - Fundação Casa de Rui Barbosa, 1981. 95 pp.
A Literatura de Cordel. Recife: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 1973. 94 pp.
Articles or Chapters in Books:
"Os Desafios da Nova Ordem Mundial: a Visão do Povo no "Jornal do Povo" In: Anais do V Congresso do Solar II, São Paulo: EDUSP, 1998,pp. 553-557.
"A Visão da Segunda Guerra Mundial na Literatura de Cordel-- O Caso de Cuíca de Santo Amaro" In: A Guerra no Cordel, ed. Jerusa Pires, P.U.C., São Paulo, forthcoming.
"Brazil's Literatura de Cordel [String Literature]: Poetic Chronicle and Popular History." Studies in Latin American Popular Culture v. 15, 1996, 219-229.
"Grande Sertão: Veredas e a Literatura de Cordel." Brasil/ Brazil n. 14, ano 8, 1995, 9-49.
"A literatura de cordel: antes e agora." Special Portuguese Edition of Hispania (74:3) Sept. 1991, 570-576.
"Cordel: One Hundred Years of Brazilian History." Brazil Hoje (May-June, 1991) 1, 9.
"New Cordel in Brazil: 1985." Studies in Latin American Popular Culture, V. 7, 1988, 107-120.
"Images of the United States in Brazil's Literatura de Cordel." Proceedings of the Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies. 14:1 (1987), 145-172.
"The Brazilian Democratic Dream: the View from Cordel." Luso-Brazilian Review. 23:2 (1986), 29-46.
"Politics in the Brazilian Literatura de Cordel: the View of Rodolfo Coelho Cavalcante." Studies in Latin American Popular Culture. Eds. Harold Hinds, Charles M. Tatum. V. 3, 1984, 115-126.
"Folk-Popular Literature in Brazil: a Seminal Study of "Stories on a String." Studies in Latin American Popular Culture. V.2, 1983, 234-238.
"Brazil's Literatura de Cordel: Its Distribution and Adaptation to the Brazilian Mass Market." Studies in Latin American Popular Culture. V. 1, 1982, 164-178.
"Literatura de Cordel Today: the Poets and the Publishers." Journal of Latin American Lore. 6:1 (1980), 55-75.
"From the Cantador to the Poeta Popular: the Folk-Popular Poetry of Northeastern Brazil." Latin American Digest. 13:4 (1979), 1-3, 20.
"The Poetry of the Cangaço." Arizona Latin American Conference Papers. Tempe, CLAS, 1978, 24 pp.
"An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works on Brazil' Literatura de Cordel." Proceedings of the Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies. V. 5, 1976, 160-168.
"A Cultura Popular e Grande Sertão: Veredas." University of Southern California Symposium on Luso-Brazilian Oral Traditions: Verse Forms. Ed. Joanne Purcell, Los Angeles, USC, 1976, 36-81.
"Rodolfo Coelho Cavalcante: Brazilian Popular Poet and Propagandist of the Literatura de Cordel." Proceedings of the Pacific Coast Council of Latin American Studies. V. 5, 1976, 11-24.
"Twentieth Century Brazilian Literature: Influence of the Poetry of the Masses (Mário de Andrade, Jorge Amado, João Guimarães Rosa and Ariano Suassuna). U.C.L.A. Semana de Arte Moderna Symposium. Los Angeles, 1975, 146-159.
"Jorge Amado" and "Ariano Suassuna", A Dictionary of Brazilian Authors. Eds. David Foster and Roberto Reis. Tempe: CLAS, 1973, 2-4, 141-142.
"The Journalistic Page of the Brazilian Popular Poet." Arizona Latin American Conference on Latin American Studies. Tempe: CLAS, 1973, 30-52.
"A Sátira e a Crítica Social na Literatura de Cordel". Literatura Popular em Verso. Estudos I. Rio de Janeiro: Fundação Casa de Rui Barbosa, 1973, 271-330. (With studies by Ariano Suassuna, Bráulio do Nascimento, Dulce Martins, Mark J. Curran, Manuel Diégues Júnior, Raquel de Queiróz and Sebastião Nunes Batista.) 2a. ed. Belo Horizonte: Itatiaia - USP, 1986.
"A Página Editorial do Poeta Popular". Revista Brasileira de Folclore. Rio de Janeiro, Instituto Nacional do Folclore, abril de 1972, 5-16.
Curran, Mark J. "Introduction and Selected Bibliography of History and Politics in Brazilian Popular Poetry." Special Series. Tempe: Center for Latin American Studies, 1971, 26 pp.
"Influência da Literatura de Cordel na Literatura Brasileira". Revista Brasileira de Folclore. Rio de Janeiro, Instituto Nacional de Folclore, set. 1969, 3-15.
Selected Reviews:
Slater, Candace. Stories on a String: the Brazilian 'Literatura de Cordel. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1982. In: Hispania, 66, May, 1983, 308-309.
Chamberlain, Bobby and Harmon, Ronald. A Dictionary of Informal Brazilian Portuguese. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown U. Press, 1985. In: Hispania, May, 1985. Romero, Sílvio. Estudos sobre a Poesia Popular do Brasil. In: Chásqui 7:2 (Feb. 1979), p. 134.
Almeida, Atila and Sobrinho, José Alves. Dicionário Bio-bibliográfico de Repentistas e Poetas de Bancada. João Pessoa: Edta. Universitária da UFEPB, 1978. In: Chásqui 12:2, (Feb.) 1978.
Teaching Interests and Courses Taught:
Spanish language, Survey of Spanish Literature, Don Quixote; Portuguese language, Os Lusíadas, Brazilian Literature, Northeastern Literature of Brazil, Jorge Amado, Grande Sertão: Veredas, Música e Poesia: Chico Buarque de Holanda, the Literatura de Cordel of Brazil, Cordel e Vida Brasileira, Luso-Brazilian Civilization, Special Topics - Brazil, Spanish American Civilization.
Thank you for your attention,
Mark J. Curran, Professor Emeritus
School of International Letters and Cultures
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
