All about Walt Whitman

My given name is Gentil Saraiva Junior, and I have an M.A. from UFRGS.

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MR. KIND is a nickname given to me by friends and students (yes, I have another blog;

click here to see it; but this one is in Portuguese, except for the bilingual contents:

Mr. Kind’s Grammar book, Glossary of Computer Speak, etc.).

“Gentil” means gentle or kind in English.

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(If you want to know what Gentil looks like, click here and see pictures of his trip to Uruguay in February of 2008)

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I was born in Espinosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil, in 1967. I went to primary school and high school in Minas Gerais. In 1986 I moved to Porto Alegre to go to university. In 1987, I entered the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul to take a course in Languages, and I majored in English and Portuguese. I graduated in 1991. I worked for some time teaching English and soon afterwards I decided to do a Master’s course at the same University due to my dream: translate Walt Whitman‘s poems into Portuguese. I submitted a project that was accepted: the translation of three books by Walt Whitman: “Song of Myself”; “Children of Adam” and “Calamus” (passages from these 3 books can be found at this site, at the “Recriações Poéticas” page). My theory and practice in translation was based on the idea of poetic re-creation, which has a great tradition in Brazil, from Odorico Mendes, Concretistas (Concrete poets) and some excellent translators nowadays.

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Besides Walt Whitman’s poetry, I practiced translation by re-creating other famous poets’ works in Portuguese, too, like James Joyce‘s “Chamber Music” and Omar Khayyam‘s “Rubaiyat”. These re-creations can be appreciated here also.

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After having worked as a teacher of English and Translator at my own Language School, taught at two English courses and several private schools, as well as in companies, I am now doing a doctorate in Translation at UFRGS, to continue the re-creation of Walt Whitman’s poetry into Portuguese.

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Below is my C.V.:

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GENTIL SARAIVA JUNIOR, M.A (Master of Arts).

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Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

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FIELD OF ACTIVITY

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Teaching of English / Literature

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Translation / Version

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Teaching of Literary Translation: Poetry / Prose

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EDUCATION

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FACULTY OF LETTERS / UFRGS

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Doctorate in Literary Translation – course started in March, 2005.

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Master’s Degree in Poetic Translation: Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. Course started in March, 1993 and finished in November, 1995.

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Majored in English / Portuguese. Course started in March, 1987, and finished in November. 1991.

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Last but not least, anyone can see on these pages how frequently I mention the name Austro Queiroz.

I have been his follower, disciple, student, friend/brother for twelve years now,

and been a member of CINTEI during all these years also.

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