LETTERS

Accidented tourist

I read about William Moy's trip to Brazil ("I survived Brazil") and I have to tell you. First of all I am Brazilian. Moy wrote about all the bad things that happened to him and his friend in Brazil. If you go to Rio or São Paulo I am not surprised about everything that happened. Tourists want to know famous places, but to really understand a country we need to go where it is different. To explore a foreign land you need to get away from the famous.
I am from the south of Brazil and I assure you that when I was younger (things might have changed a little) I used to walk by myself at 4:00 AM and I never saw anything that Moy says he saw. The place I am talking about is Florianópolis, a little island with 42 beaches to choose from. You still can find very quiet and secluded beaches there. And, of course, beautiful women. The problem is tourists want comfort and only the best. Anyway, São Paulo and Rio aren't any worse than New York or Chicago.

Adriana Harper
Coquitlam, BC, Canada

My kind of country

Thank you for such an informative and interesting magazine which covers such a wide variety of topics about Brazil and its culture. This is exactly what I wanted for years. I was born in Campinas, Brazil, in 1959 to Christian missionaries who helped the poor and let many learn of the love of God for them. I returned to America in 1973 and wanted to know what was happening in my beloved Brazil.
Now I know about culture, politics, music, issues and much more. I like Brazilian music like Antônio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, Gal Costa, Roberto Carlos and many more. I have frequented Brazilian restaurants advertised in Brazzil and enjoyed the delicious food and ambiance. Keep up the good work. Com muito amor para o lindo país Brasil. Uma americana brasileira.

Joanna Parrish
Pomona, California

Brazzil in Washington

I am the host/producer of a Brazilian Music Program at WDCU FM-JAZZ 90 in Washington D.C.. The program, Waves of Patropi (as in País Tropical) which airs Saturdays, 6 until 9 PM, has been in the air for two years now and it has reached a very popular status in the D.C. area. Enclosed is a $3 check for a subscription. I hope to be able to inform myself as well as my listeners by receiving such a good publication.

André Lacerda
Washington, D.C.

Positive response

As the editor of a magazine called Positive Vibrations, I wish to ask for permission to reprint an article written by William Javier Nelson in Brazzil, entitled "Blacks in Brazil and Mexico."
Positive Vibrations is a monthly magazine providing news and entertainment information about Africa and the Diaspora. It comes from a Pan-African perspective, and also tries to offer commentaries on culture, history, and the environment. I would be grateful if you would allow us to reprint this article.

Kehinde Chaytor
DeKalb, Illinois

Here's for choro

I just adored your article "100 Years of Choro." It's great to know that the legendary Pixinguinha will never be forgotten!

Melissa Landini
In the Internet

With passion

This is the first time I have a chance to read Brazzil and I am just loving it. I am from São Luís, state of Maranhão, considered in Brazil as the island of love. I would love to read an article in your wonderful magazine about this lovely island.

Kledilton Cutrim Pinto
São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil

Hungry to learn

I have traveled to your beautiful country each of the last two years for vacation only. Because of my growing interest in Brazil and my desire to learn Portuguese more rapidly, I have decided to go for a more extended period of time. I am looking for any information that someone might have about an intensive language immersion program or schools in Brazil that would be well suited for an American with only beginning foreign language skills.
Also, I would greatly appreciate any information about finding a family that would be willing to accept a foreigner in their home for this purpose. Although I am 32 and not a student anymore, possibly there might exist a type of exchange program that is available?

Roberto
E-mail: itegrity@aol.com

In the libraries

Thank you for responding to our request for information about Brazzil. With your help, we have produced The Directory of Electronic Journals, Newsletters and Academic Discussion Lists, 6th Edition. This new edition of the directory is a compilation of entries for over 3,000 academic and professional discussion lists and 1,688 journals, newsletters, and newsletter-digests, representing a 257% increase in journals and a 26% increase in lists since the 1995 edition. The Association of Research Libraries is a not-for-profit membership organization comprising 120 libraries of North American research institutions. It is through efforts such as yours that the Internet is an exciting and innovative place for learning and research.

Dru Mogge, Editor
Association of Research Libraries
Washington, D.C.

And what do you think?

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