A Visit to New York City’s Brazilian Library

Located in an elegant basement space on the East section of Manhattan, New York’s Brazilian library is one of the few places in the United States where the large public can access Portuguese editions of the classics of Brazilian and world literature.

From that space, Brazilian writer (and library co-founder) Domício Coutinho runs the daily activities of The Brazilian Cultural Center in New York City, the institution which manages not only the library but also, an annual series of arts and cultural events.

Ex-President José Sarney (left) with Domício Coutinho

In a recent encounter with Mr. Coutinho, he shared a small piece of the library’s history and goals (see attached video for more information). For him, creating a public space dedicated to the culture of his home country was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. It was also, as he made sure to emphasize, the result of years of hard work by many writers (himself, Antônio Massa, Clifford Landers, among others) who started the first union of Brazilian Writers in New York City (UBENY – União Brasileira dos Escritores de New York).

Functioning under the auspices of the non-profit called Brazilian Endowment for the Arts, the library’s main goal is to encourage and preserve the use of Brazilian Portuguese among a new and old generation of immigrants living in the area. And obviously, the center itself, which encompasses a second room used for film screenings, events and lectures, has been actively promoting Brazilian arts and culture among New Yorkers since its creation.

Today, the Brazilian Cultural center is the proud host of weekly film screenings, art exhibitions, and events that brought filmmaker Nelson Pereira dos Santos and ex-President José Sarney close to the New York public. With more than 2,300 catalogued books and 120 Brazilian films available to the public, this one-of-a-kind space already stands as an indispensable resource for anyone looking to learn and research about the history, culture and artistic legacy of Brazil.

Besides being the host of the only library exclusively dedicated to Brazilian literature (and Portuguese titles) in the United States, the Brazilian Cultural Center already has a full schedule of activities for 2009 – and it is counting with the participation of the local community to expand and implement its activities. For film aficionados, the center also hosts a weekly film screening series titled Brazilian Film on Thursday, curated by filmmaker Ivy Goulart.

Last year, besides featuring recent and classic works made by Brazilian filmmakers (such as Bus 174 and Dona Flor and her Two Husbands), the center gave a special award to Cinema Novo luminary Mr. Nelson Perreira dos Santos, director of the classic Barren Lives (1963). – titled Vidas Secas in Portuguese.

The library is open from Monday to Friday, between 9am and 6pm. For more information, please visit the center’s web site at:

Brazilian Endowment for the Arts

Interview with Domicio Coutinho, President of the Brazilian Cultural Center in New York City from BrazilNYC on Vimeo

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp5f4HPZxbw&feature=PlayList&p=04A21A94EF9ACB07&index