The Power of Meaning and the Meaning of Word-Power: Glossário Silviano Santiago | Apresentação de Mario Cámara [Silviano Santiago Glossary | Presentation by Mario Cámara]

 

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We live in an age where words have become detached from meaning--at least communal meaning.  Reflecting, perhaps, the narcissism of a self-actualizing age that requires company, a voyeuristic age, we have all embraced the personal in language, and then used that lingual personality as the base for projection outward. It may be excused to find in this a means of getting around the great effort of the last century to make violent conflict substantially difficult enough to avoid physical annihilation--however clumsy and partial the effort thus far. There will be be conflict among humans, and there will be efforts at hierarchy, control, and dependence; these lusts have just moved around violence (at some levels of human social interaction) to be manifested in other ways. In this case by an imperialist-colonialism, a war of conquest and dominion, of words. Well, not just words, but of the union (perhaps the marriage) of words with meanings, and meanings with a particular way of approaching both from a set of ordering premises which those with the power to do so, control--through the delightful performances of narrative. These apply at multiple levels--from the crudeness (though sometimes quite creative) efforts ot manage the masses through language, to the more rarefied spaces where those who think they can produce the words necessary to rationalize (and thus to control) the perception necessary for the constriction of cognitive systems for social relations.

All of this effort requires a lexicon from which the grimoire of social relations may be ordered, defined, made meaningful and from there encoded into the fabric of the relations that must be controlled--externally through the lexicon, internally through its indoctrination, its filling of the natural and corporate bodies from out of which human relations (including self-relations) acquire form, purpose and consciousness. 

Fun.

This is not just the stuff of self-involved philosophers, though they do seem it enjoy it quite a bit. It is a bacillus necessary to maintain the life of social relations at every level of organized activity. Statutes  increasingly come with their own lexicon of specialized meaning. The common law has always had its "terms of art", as has economic practices by merchants in commerce. But where these were once woven into the premises of social relations, they now appear both external to them (thus the need for the lexicon) and as a force of displacement (meant to overcome and sit atop whatever "common" meaning there might have been attached communally to words).  As is now commonly understood, a lexicon is just an expression of control, and when crafted into social collective grimoire, a book of spells for the exercise of power. 

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For the philosopher, these more pedestrian (though quite meaningful) performances have been reduced to the production of "dictionaries" built to help guide the reader to (and into) the language of the particular philosopher whose works might otherwise be more inscrutable (see, e.g., here, here, here, here, here, and here). Bit it is also an exercise of control and power in the sense that the struggle by the individual reader to engage with the text is now"guided" by the dictionary, and its producers to a communal understanding of, and thus toward a more useful instrumentalization, of the text to which the dictionary is devoted. But here the philosophers of the last century into this one merely mimic, in sometimes quite pallid forms, the fundamental "conversation" at the heart of the European Reformation between a magisterium based Christianity and one grounded (in its nost radical versions) in individual struggle with the holy texts of that religion, a conversation reflected in similar dialogues in other cultural-historical contexts. And, of course, in the spirit of the historical and national contexts in which these impulses are manifested, the dictionary might well become an object of markets (contests among competing dictionaries for preeminent), regulatory supervision (the melding of political authority with the power over a definitive dictionary), and with the foundations of "textuality" itself (where the dictionary expresses more the meta-ideological conceptual cage for which it was made rather than the text for which it is crafted).

The point, then, is not that this is something that ought to be fought or rejected. Quite the opposite, it ought to be understood and accepted for what it is.  And then one conforms to the extent it is necessary in the face of power, and one avoids to the extent of one's taste for avoidance, and one's ability to undertake that sometimes more interesting journey.  

All of this by way of introduction to the announcement of a quite exciting project in Portuguese and Spanish for a dictionary of a less well known thinker whose work may be worthy of deeper engagement beyond those spaces where it is already admired. This project, the Glossário Silviano Santiago | Apresentação de Mario Cámara [Silviano Santiago Glossary | has been presented by Mario Cámera, a professor of Brazilian literature at the University of Buenos Aires.

It is introduced this way:

Temos a alegria de lançar hoje um novo projeto da BVPS Edições: o Glossário Silviano Santiago, organizado por Mario Cámara, professor de literatura brasileira da Universidade de Buenos Aires. Resultado de um esforço coletivo que reúne 22 verbetes assinados por pesquisadoras e pesquisadores do Brasil, Argentina, Chile e Espanha, este glossário propõe um mapeamento conceitual do pensamento de Silviano Santiago, um dos mais inventivos e influentes intelectuais brasileiros contemporâneos. Desde os anos 1970, Silviano vem construindo um sistema de pensamento marcado pela articulação entre crítica, ficção e crônica jornalística, em diálogo permanente com as tradições culturais brasileiras, latino-americanas e ocidentais. Sua obra desafia classificações: é iconoclasta, conceitualmente ousada e em constante movimento. Inspirado no histórico Glossário de Derrida, publicado por Silviano em 1976, este novo glossário busca agora iluminar a própria obra do autor — sua vitalidade, densidade teórica e permanência como referência para a crítica cultural brasileira e latino-americana. Os verbetes atravessam tanto sua produção ficcional quanto ensaística, incorporando temas e recorrências fundamentais como infância, infidelidade e queer, além de revisitar conceitos centrais de seu pensamento, como “entre-lugar”, “cosmopolitismo do pobre” e “inserção”, e dialogar com autores frequentados por sua crítica. Neste post, você encontra a apresentação do Glossário Silviano Santiago, assinada por Mario Cámara. Na parte da tarde, traremos o primeiro verbete. Acompanhe, sempre às quintas-feiras pela manhã, a publicação de novos verbetes, que serão lançados em versão bilíngue, em português e espanhol. Boa leitura e não perca nossas novidades! Para ficar por dentro de tudo, você pode assinar nossa lista de e-mails, seguir nosso Instagram ou entrar na lista da BVPS no WhatsApp. (Glossário Silviano Santiago)

Today we are pleased to launch a new project by BVPS Edições: the Silviano Santiago Glossary, organized by Mario Cámara, professor of Brazilian literature at the University of Buenos Aires. The result of a collective effort that brings together 22 entries written by researchers from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Spain, this glossary proposes a conceptual mapping of the thought of Silviano Santiago, one of the most inventive and influential contemporary Brazilian intellectuals. Since the 1970s, Silviano has been building a system of thought marked by the articulation of criticism, fiction and journalistic chronicles, in permanent dialogue with Brazilian, Latin American and Western cultural traditions. His work defies classification: it is iconoclastic, conceptually bold and in constant movement. Inspired by the historic Glossary of Derrida, published by Silviano in 1976, this new glossary now seeks to illuminate the author's own work — its vitality, theoretical density and permanence as a reference for Brazilian and Latin American cultural criticism. The entries span both his fictional and essayistic production, incorporating fundamental themes and recurrences such as childhood, infidelity and queerness, in addition to revisiting central concepts of his thought, such as “in-between place”, “cosmopolitanism of the poor” and “insertion”, and engaging in dialogue with authors frequented by his criticism. In this post, you will find the introduction to the Silviano Santiago Glossary, written by Mario Cámara. In the afternoon, we will bring you the first entry. Follow, every Thursday morning, the publication of new entries, which will be released in a bilingual version, in Portuguese and Spanish. Enjoy your reading and don't miss our news! To stay up to date, you can subscribe to our email list, follow us on Instagram or join the BVPS list on WhatsApp.

 The Introduction, as well as Mario Cámera's Apresentação (Presentaiton of the Projevt) follow below in the original Portuguese.

 

Glossário Silviano Santiago | Apresentação de Mario Cámara

blogbvps08.05.2025Glossário Silviano Santiago

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Temos a alegria de lançar hoje um novo projeto da BVPS Edições: o Glossário Silviano Santiago, organizado por Mario Cámara, professor de literatura brasileira da Universidade de Buenos Aires. Resultado de um esforço coletivo que reúne 22 verbetes assinados por pesquisadoras e pesquisadores do Brasil, Argentina, Chile e Espanha, este glossário propõe um mapeamento conceitual do pensamento de Silviano Santiago, um dos mais inventivos e influentes intelectuais brasileiros contemporâneos.

Desde os anos 1970, Silviano vem construindo um sistema de pensamento marcado pela articulação entre crítica, ficção e crônica jornalística, em diálogo permanente com as tradições culturais brasileiras, latino-americanas e ocidentais. Sua obra desafia classificações: é iconoclasta, conceitualmente ousada e em constante movimento. Inspirado no histórico Glossário de Derrida, publicado por Silviano em 1976, este novo glossário busca agora iluminar a própria obra do autor — sua vitalidade, densidade teórica e permanência como referência para a crítica cultural brasileira e latino-americana.

Os verbetes atravessam tanto sua produção ficcional quanto ensaística, incorporando temas e recorrências fundamentais como infância, infidelidade e queer, além de revisitar conceitos centrais de seu pensamento, como “entre-lugar”, “cosmopolitismo do pobre” e “inserção”, e dialogar com autores frequentados por sua crítica.

Neste post, você encontra a apresentação do Glossário Silviano Santiago, assinada por Mario Cámara. Na parte da tarde, traremos o primeiro verbete. Acompanhe, sempre às quintas-feiras pela manhã, a publicação de novos verbetes, que serão lançados em versão bilíngue, em português e espanhol.

Boa leitura e não perca nossas novidades! Para ficar por dentro de tudo, você pode assinar nossa lista de e-mails, seguir nosso Instagram ou entrar na lista da BVPS no WhatsApp.

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Apresentação

Por Mario Cámara

Quero começar esta apresentação do Glossário Silviano Santiago apropriando-me das palavras que André Botelho e Maurício Hoelz dedicaram a ele no Glossário Minas Mundo. Lá afirmam que “pensar a contribuição da crítica de Silviano Santiago não é tarefa fácil. Sua obra é original, desafiadora e vasta. Mas não só isso. Tem um sentido aberto, dialógico e está em permanente movimento”. Desejo também destacar a extraordinária compilação realizada por Ítalo Moriconi, 35 ensaios de Silviano Santiago, publicada pela Companhia das Letras, que permite reconstruir um percurso rigoroso sobre a produção crítica do nosso autor.

O verbete e a compilação funcionaram como estímulos iniciais. Nosso glossário – usarei o plural porque a tarefa foi coletiva – encontra ainda outra fonte de inspiração. Trata-se da publicação constante de dicionários e glossários dedicados a críticos e pensadores, entre os quais podemos lembrar o Dicionário Bourdieu, de Stéphane Chevalier e Christiane Chauviré, o Dicionário Deleuze, editado por Adrian Parr, ou o Dicionário Michel Foucault, organizado por Edgardo Castro, entre dezenas de outros possíveis exemplos. Embora se trate de uma prática frequente na Europa e nos Estados Unidos, há poucos exemplos na América Latina. Um deles é justamente o dicionário dedicado ao pensamento de Michel Foucault, que acabamos de mencionar; o outro é, evidentemente, o Glossário Jacques Derrida, organizado pelo próprio Silviano Santiago, publicado em 1976 pela editora Francisco Alves, traduzido para o espanhol por Raúl Rodríguez Freire e publicado na Argentina em 2015 pela editora El Hilo Rojo, sendo republicado em português em 2020 pela Papéis Selvagens.

No prefácio à edição argentina, Silviano Santiago conta que a ideia de um glossário indispensável de Jacques Derrida surgiu em 1974, ano em que retornou definitivamente ao Brasil vindo da Universidade de Buffalo, nos Estados Unidos, onde atuava como professor no Departamento de Língua e Cultura Francesa. Foi no contexto de seus cursos na Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro que aquele glossário tomou forma com a ajuda indispensável de um amplo grupo de colaboradores. Na introdução que escreve em 1976, Silviano afirma que o objetivo do glossário era contornar as dificuldades enfrentadas por quase todo leitor diante da escrita de Jacques Derrida, que define como barroca e iconoclasta. Podemos acrescentar que esse glossário não apenas contribui para esclarecer uma escrita opaca como a de Derrida, mas injeta, como um vírus, o pensamento da desconstrução no meio acadêmico brasileiro.

Nosso glossário aponta na mesma direção, embora por outros motivos. O pensamento de Silviano não é barroco, embora se mantenha iconoclasta desde o início. E, ainda que seus livros e ideias circulem no meio acadêmico brasileiro e latino-americano, a diversidade e a extensão temporal de sua produção – que ele próprio não cessa de reler, reajustar e atualizar com novos conceitos – o tornam um autor complexo. Além disso, é importante destacar que sua produção crítica integra uma obra ainda mais ampla, que abrange a ficção e a crônica jornalística. Essa espécie de anfibiologia vem se configurando como um extenso sistema, tecido por meio de diálogos e reverberações, com o objetivo de propor uma releitura das histórias e tradições culturais brasileiras, latino-americanas e ocidentais, operando efeitos performativos sobre o presente. Silviano, assim, propõe não somente a invenção de novas categorias conceituais – muitas das quais se tornaram fundamentais e amplamente utilizadas pela crítica brasileira e latino-americana –, mas também a revitalização, apropriação e rearticulação de uma maquinaria conceitual que, ao se incorporar ao seu sistema, passa a operar sob outras lógicas. Essa amplitude e complexidade nos impulsionaram a dar forma ao nosso glossário.

A origem do projeto surgiu de uma proposta que fiz a André Botelho em meados de 2024, que foi aceita com generosidade e de imediato. A partir daí, e com a colaboração indispensável de Caroline Tresoldi, começamos a pensar nos conceitos a serem abordados e elaboramos uma primeira lista curta. O objetivo sempre foi não deixar de fora a produção ficcional de Silviano, pois entendíamos que ela fazia parte do seu pensamento. O mesmo vale para alguns dos autores frequentados por sua crítica, como Mário de Andrade ou Guimarães Rosa. Desejávamos mapear conceitualmente sua produção escrita, independentemente dos gêneros, para que o glossário se transformasse em uma imagem possível do sistema Silviano. Por fim, convidamos um conjunto de colaboradores que ultrapassasse os limites do Brasil, algo que conseguimos com a participação de destacados colegas da Argentina, Chile e Espanha.

As entradas que compõem este glossário, portanto, buscam reler conceitos-chave e iluminar outros menos visitados. Entre os conceitos-chave, Wander Melo Miranda trata do conceito de “Entre-lugar”, Paloma Vidal do “Cosmopolitismo do pobre”, Maurício Hoelz desenvolve “Inserção/Formação”, enquanto somamos conceitos mais recentes, mas com destino de clássicos, como “Ferocidade”, explorado por Mary Luz Estupiñán; “Grafias de vida”, desenvolvido por Florencia Garramuño; “Forma prisão”, analisado por Diana Klinger; e “Cosmopolitismos discrepantes”, de minha autoria. São sete conceitos que compõem uma espécie de espinha dorsal do pensamento de Silviano.

Incorporamos também temas e recorrências fundamentais, como “Infância”, elaborado por Célia Pedrosa; “Infidelidade”, escrito por Raúl Rodríguez Freire; “Queer”, desenvolvido por Ítalo Moriconi; e “Alegria”, escrito por Gustavo Silveira Ribeiro. Há dois textos que se inscrevem no gênero retrato: “Impureza”, a cargo de Daniel Link, e “Silviano Santiago 1970”, assinado por Jorge Wolff. Frederico Coelho, por sua vez, examina a leitura da contracultura realizada por Silviano na entrada “Contracultura” e, como contraponto, Denilson Lopes aborda o conceito de “Pós-moderno”.

Max Hidalgo Nácher revisita Silviano a partir de Derrida e propõe a entrada “Desconstrução”. Algo semelhante faz Andre Bittencourt com “Diferença e repetição” e, a seu modo, mas resgatando um dos primeiros conceitos produzidos por Silviano, Hugo Herrera Pardo desenvolve “Semente”.

Finalmente, como já antecipamos, incluímos escritores centrais para Silviano. Assim, “Mário de Andrade” é analisado por André Botelho; “Graciliano Ramos” é trabalhado por Rodrigo Jorge; “Machado de Assis”, por Mónica Fabiola González García; e Guimarães Rosa, através da obra Grande Sertão: Veredas, por Gabriel Martins da Silva.

Este projeto coletivo, composto por 22 verbetes que serão publicados semanalmente em português e espanhol, não só presta homenagem à amplitude e profundidade do pensamento de Silviano Santiago, como também busca impulsionar novas leituras, novas interlocuções e novas possibilidades críticas a partir de sua obra, reafirmando sua importância incontestável no panorama intelectual contemporâneo do Brasil e da América Latina.

Agradeço em meu nome, em nome de André Botelho e de Caroline Tresoldi, a todos os colegas que colaboraram, com entusiasmo e dedicação, na construção deste vasto e vibrante mapa conceitual.

Sobre o autor

Mario Cámara é professor de literatura brasileira na Universidade de Buenos Aires, professor de teoria literária na Universidade Nacional de Artes e pesquisador independente no CONICET. 

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Presentación

Quiero comenzar esta presentación del Glosario Silviano Santiago haciendo mías las palabras que André Botelho y Maurício Hoelz le dedicaron en el Glossário Minas Mundo. Allí afirman que “pensar la contribución de la crítica de Silviano Santiago no es tarea fácil. Su obra es original, desafiante y vasta. Pero no solo eso. Tiene un sentido abierto, dialógico y está en movimiento permanente”. También deseo rescatar la extraordinaria compilación realizada por Ítalo Moriconi, 35 ensaios de Silviano Santiago, para Companhia das Letras, que permite reconstruir un recorrido riguroso sobre la producción crítica de nuestro autor.

Verbete y compilación funcionaron como estímulos iniciales. Nuestro glosario – usaré el plural porque la tarea fue colectiva – encuentra además otra fuente de inspiración. Se trata de la publicación constante de diccionarios y glosarios dedicados a críticos y pensadores, entre los que podemos mencionar el Diccionario Bourdieu de Stephane Chevalier y Christiane Chauviré; el Diccionario Deleuze editado por Adrian Parr; o el Diccionario Michel Foucault organizado por Edgardo Castro, entre decenas de otros ejemplos posibles. Si bien se trata de una práctica frecuente en Europa y en Estados Unidos, existen pocos ejemplos en Latinoamérica. Uno de ellos es el diccionario dedicado al pensamiento de Michel Foucault, que acabamos de mencionar. El otro es, por supuesto, el Glosario Jacques Derrida, organizado por el propio Silviano Santiago, publicado en 1976 por la editorial Francisco Alves, traducido al castellano por Raúl Rodríguez Freire y publicado en Argentina en 2015 por la editorial El Hilo Rojo, y republicado en portugués en 2020 por Papéis Selvagens.

En el prólogo a la edición argentina, Silviano Santiago nos cuenta que la idea de un indispensable glosario de Jacques Derrida surgió en 1974, año en el que regresa definitivamente a Brasil desde la Universidad de Buffalo, en Estados Unidos, donde se desempeñaba como profesor en el Departamento de Lengua y Cultura Francesa. Fue en el marco de sus cursos en la Universidad Católica de Río de Janeiro en los que aquel glosario tomó forma con la ayuda indispensable de un amplio grupo de colaboradores. En la introducción que Silviano escribe en 1976, sostiene que el objetivo del glosario consiste en sortear las dificultades que afrontaba casi cualquier lector ante la escritura de Jacques Derrida, a la que define como barroca e iconoclasta. Podríamos agregar que ese glosario no solo contribuye a clarificar una escritura opaca como la de Derrida, sino que inyecta, como un virus, el pensamiento de la deconstrucción en el medio académico brasileño.

Nuestro glosario apunta en la misma dirección, aunque por otros motivos. El pensamiento de Silviano no es barroco, aunque sí permanece iconoclasta desde sus inicios. Y si bien sus libros y sus ideas circulan por el medio académico brasileño y latinoamericano, la diversidad y la extensión temporal de su producción, a la que él mismo no deja de releer, reajustar y actualizar con nuevos conceptos, lo convierte en un autor complejo. Además, resulta importante subrayar que su producción crítica forma parte de una obra aún más amplia, que abarca la ficción y la crónica periodística. Esta suerte de anfibiología se viene configurando como un extenso sistema, tejido a través de diálogos y reverberaciones, con el objetivo de proponer una relectura de las historias y tradiciones culturales brasileñas, latinoamericanas y occidentales, operando efectos performativos sobre el presente. Silviano, de este modo, propone no solo la invención de nuevas categorías conceptuales – muchas de las cuales se han vuelto fundamentales y ampliamente utilizadas por la crítica brasileña y latinoamericana –, sino también la revitalización, apropiación y rearticulación de una maquinaria conceptual que, al incorporarse en su sistema, empieza a operar según otras lógicas. Esa amplitud y complejidad nos han impulsado a darle forma a nuestro glosario.

El origen del proyecto surgió de una propuesta que le realicé a André Botelho a mediados de 2024, propuesta que fue aceptada con generosidad y de inmediato. A partir de allí, y con la colaboración indispensable de Caroline Tresoldi, comenzamos a pensar en los conceptos a abordar y elaboramos una primera lista corta. El objetivo siempre fue no dejar fuera la producción ficcional de Silviano, porque entendíamos que ella formaba parte de su pensamiento. Lo mismo sucedía con algunos de los autores frecuentados por su crítica, como Mário de Andrade o Guimarães Rosa. Deseábamos mapear conceptualmente su producción escrita sin importar los géneros, para que el glosario se transformara en una imagen posible del sistema Silviano. Por último, invitamos a un conjunto de colaboradores que excediera los límites de Brasil, algo que conseguimos con el aporte de destacados colegas de Argentina, Chile y España.

Las entradas que componen este glosario, por lo tanto, buscan releer conceptos claves e iluminar algunos otros menos visitados. Entre los conceptos claves, Wander Melo Miranda se ocupa del concepto de “Entre-lugar”, Paloma Vidal del de “Cosmopolitismo del pobre”, Maurício Hoelz desarrolla “Inserción/Formación”, mientras que sumamos conceptos más recientes, pero con destino de clásicos, como “Ferocidad”, explorado por Mary Luz Estupiñán; “Grafías de vida”, desarrollado por Florencia Garramuño; “Forma prisión”, analizado por Diana Klinger; y “Cosmopolitismos discrepantes”, de mi autoría. Siete conceptos en total que componen una suerte de columna vertebral del pensamiento de Silviano.

Incorporamos asimismo temas y recurrencias fundamentales, como “Infancia”, elaborado por Célia Pedrosa; “Infidelidad”, escrito por Raúl Rodríguez Freire, “Queer”, desarrollado por Ítalo Moriconi; y “Alegría”, escrito por Gustavo Silveira Ribeiro. Hay dos textos que se inscriben en el género retrato, “Impureza”, a cargo de Daniel Link, y “Silviano Santiago 1970”, firmado por Jorge Wolff. Frederico Coelho, mientras tanto, examina la lectura de la contracultura realizada por Silviano en la entrada “Contracultura” y como contrapartida, Denilson Lopes aborda el concepto de “Posmoderno”.

Max Hidalgo Nácher revisita a Silviano a partir de Derrida y propone la entrada “Desconstrucción”. Algo semejante realiza Andre Bittencourt con “Diferencia y repetición”, y, a su modo, pero rescatando uno de los primeros conceptos que produjo Silviano, Hugo Herrera Pardo desarrolla “Simiente”.

Finalmente, como anticipamos, incluimos escritores centrales para Silviano. Así, “Mário de Andrade” es analizado por André Botelho; “Graciliano Ramos” es trabajado por Rodrigo Jorge, “Machado de Assis”, por Mónica Fabiola González García y Guimarães Rosa, a través de la obra “Grande Sertão: Veredas”, por Gabriel Martins da Silva.

Este proyecto colectivo, compuesto por 22 verbetes que serán publicados semanalmente en portugués y en español, no solo rinde homenaje a la amplitud y profundidad del pensamiento de Silviano Santiago, también busca impulsar nuevas lecturas, nuevas interlocuciones y nuevas posibilidades críticas a partir de su obra, reafirmando su importancia incontestable en el panorama intelectual contemporáneo de Brasil y América Latina.

Para concluir, agradezco en mi nombre, en nombre de André Botelho y de Caroline Tresoldi, a todos los colegas que colaboraron, con entusiasmo y dedicación, en la construcción de este vasto y vibrante mapa conceptual.

Sobre el autor

Mario Cámara es profesor de literatura brasileña en la Universidad de Buenos Aires, profesor de teoría literaria en la Universidad Nacional de las Artes e investigador independiente del CONICET.

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Simpósio | “Glossário de Derrida”, de Silviano Santiago (Org.)29.09.2020Em "BVPS Ideias"

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Glossário Silviano Santiago | Semente, por Hugo Herrera Pardo08.05.2025Em "Glossário Silviano Santiago"

 

Silviano Santiago Glossary | Presentation by Mario Cámara
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Today we are pleased to launch a new project by BVPS Edições: the Silviano Santiago Glossary, organized by Mario Cámara, professor of Brazilian literature at the University of Buenos Aires. The result of a collective effort that brings together 22 entries written by researchers from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Spain, this glossary proposes a conceptual mapping of the thought of Silviano Santiago, one of the most inventive and influential contemporary Brazilian intellectuals.

Since the 1970s, Silviano has been building a system of thought marked by the articulation of criticism, fiction and journalistic chronicles, in permanent dialogue with Brazilian, Latin American and Western cultural traditions. His work defies classification: it is iconoclastic, conceptually bold and in constant movement. Inspired by the historic Glossary of Derrida, published by Silviano in 1976, this new glossary now seeks to illuminate the author's own work — its vitality, theoretical density and permanence as a reference for Brazilian and Latin American cultural criticism.

The entries span both his fictional and essayistic production, incorporating fundamental themes and recurrences such as childhood, infidelity and queerness, in addition to revisiting central concepts of his thought, such as “in-between place”, “cosmopolitanism of the poor” and “insertion”, and engaging in dialogue with authors frequented by his criticism.

In this post, you will find the introduction to the Silviano Santiago Glossary, written by Mario Cámara. In the afternoon, we will bring you the first entry. Follow, every Thursday morning, the publication of new entries, which will be released in a bilingual version, in Portuguese and Spanish.

Enjoy your reading and don't miss our news! To stay up to date, you can subscribe to our email list, follow us on Instagram or join the BVPS list on WhatsApp.

Presentation

By Mario Cámara

I would like to begin this presentation of the Silviano Santiago Glossary by using the words that André Botelho and Maurício Hoelz dedicated to him in the Minas Mundo Glossary. There, they state that “thinking about the contribution of Silviano Santiago’s criticism is not an easy task. His work is original, challenging and vast. But not only that. It has an open, dialogic meaning and is in constant movement”. I would also like to highlight the extraordinary compilation carried out by Ítalo Moriconi, 35 essays by Silviano Santiago, published by Companhia das Letras, which allows us to reconstruct a rigorous path through our author’s critical production.

The entry and the compilation served as initial stimuli. Our glossary – I will use the plural because the task was collective – finds yet another source of inspiration. This involves the constant publication of dictionaries and glossaries dedicated to critics and thinkers, among which we can remember the Bourdieu Dictionary, by Stéphane Chevalier and Christiane Chauviré, the Deleuze Dictionary, edited by Adrian Parr, or the Michel Foucault Dictionary, organized by Edgardo Castro, among dozens of other possible examples. Although this is a common practice in Europe and the United States, there are few examples in Latin America. One of them is precisely the dictionary dedicated to the thought of Michel Foucault, which we have just mentioned; the other is, evidently, the Jacques Derrida Glossary, organized by Silviano Santiago himself, published in 1976 by Francisco Alves, translated into Spanish by Raúl Rodríguez Freire and published in Argentina in 2015 by El Hilo Rojo, and republished in Portuguese in 2020 by Papéis Selvagens. In the preface to the Argentine edition, Silviano Santiago says that the idea of ​​an indispensable glossary of Jacques Derrida arose in 1974, the year he returned to Brazil from the University of Buffalo in the United States, where he was a professor in the Department of French Language and Culture. It was in the context of his courses at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro that this glossary took shape with the indispensable help of a large group of collaborators. In the introduction he wrote in 1976, Silviano states that the objective of the glossary was to overcome the difficulties faced by almost every reader when faced with the writing of Jacques Derrida, which he defines as baroque and iconoclastic. We can add that this glossary not only contributes to clarifying an opaque writing like Derrida's, but also injects, like a virus, the thought of deconstruction into the Brazilian academic environment.

Our glossary points in the same direction, although for different reasons. Silviano's thought is not baroque, although it has remained iconoclastic since the beginning. And, even though his books and ideas circulate in Brazilian and Latin American academic circles, the diversity and temporal extension of his production – which he himself never ceases to reread, readjust and update –  with new concepts – make him a complex author. Furthermore, it is important to highlight that his critical production is part of an even broader body of work, which encompasses fiction and journalistic chronicles. This type of amphibiology has been configured as an extensive system, woven through dialogues and reverberations, with the aim of proposing a reinterpretation of Brazilian, Latin American and Western cultural histories and traditions, operating performative effects on the present. Silviano, therefore, proposes not only the invention of new conceptual categories – many of which have become fundamental and widely used by Brazilian and Latin American critics – but also the revitalization, appropriation and rearticulation of a conceptual machinery that, when incorporated into his system, begins to operate under other logics. This breadth and complexity drove us to shape our glossary.

The origin of the project arose from a proposal I made to André Botelho in mid-2024, which was generously and immediately accepted. From there, and with the indispensable collaboration of Caroline Tresoldi, we began to think about the concepts to be addressed and drew up a first short list. The goal was always to not leave out Silviano's fictional production, since we understood that it was part of his thinking. The same goes for some of the authors frequented by his criticism, such as Mário de Andrade or Guimarães Rosa. We wanted to conceptually map his written production, regardless of genre, so that the glossary could become a possible image of Silviano's system. Finally, we invited a group of collaborators who went beyond the borders of Brazil, something we achieved with the participation of distinguished colleagues from Argentina, Chile and Spain.

The entries that make up this glossary, therefore, seek to reread key concepts and illuminate others that are less visited. Among the key concepts, Wander Melo Miranda deals with the concept of “In-between”, Paloma Vidal with “Cosmopolitanism of the poor”, Maurício Hoelz develops “Insertion/Formation”, while we add more recent concepts, but with a focus on classics, such as “Ferocity”, explored by Mary Luz Estupiñán; “Graphies of life”, developed by Florencia Garramuño; “Prison form”, analyzed by Diana Klinger; and “Discrepant cosmopolitanisms”, written by myself. These are seven concepts that make up a kind of backbone of Silviano’s thought.

We also incorporate fundamental themes and recurrences, such as “Childhood”, developed by Célia Pedrosa; “Infidelity”, written by Raúl Rodríguez Freire; “Queer”, developed by Ítalo Moriconi; and “Joy”, written by Gustavo Silveira Ribeiro. There are two texts that fall into the portrait genre: “Impureza”, by Daniel Link, and “Silviano Santiago 1970”, by Jorge Wolff. Frederico Coelho, in turn, examines Silviano’s reading of the counterculture in the entry “Counterculture” and, as a counterpoint, Denilson Lopes addresses the concept of “Postmodern”. Max Hidalgo Nácher revisits Silviano from Derrida’s perspective and proposes the entry “Deconstruction”. Andre Bittencourt does something similar with “Diferença e repetição” and, in his own way, but rescuing one of the first concepts produced by Silviano, Hugo Herrera Pardo develops “Semente”. Finally, as we have already anticipated, we include writers who are central to Silviano. Thus, “Mário de Andrade” is analyzed by André Botelho; “Graciliano Ramos” is worked on by Rodrigo Jorge; “Machado de Assis” by Mónica Fabiola González García; and Guimarães Rosa, through the work Grande Sertão: Veredas, by Gabriel Martins da Silva.

This collective project, composed of 22 entries that will be published weekly in Portuguese and Spanish, not only pays homage to the breadth and depth of Silviano Santiago's thought, but also seeks to promote new readings, new dialogues and new critical possibilities based on his work, reaffirming its undeniable importance in the contemporary intellectual panorama of Brazil and Latin America.

On my own behalf, on behalf of André Botelho and Caroline Tresoldi, I would like to thank all the colleagues who collaborated, with enthusiasm and dedication, in the construction of this vast and vibrant conceptual map.

About the author

Mario Cámara is a professor of Brazilian literature at the University of Buenos Aires, a professor of literary theory at the National University of Arts and an independent researcher at CONICET.

Presentation

I want to start this presentation of the Silviano Santiago Glossary by adding more words that André Botelho and Maurício Hoelz dedicated to the Minas Mundo Glossary. Allí states that "thinking about the contribution of Silviano Santiago's criticism is not an easy task. His work is original, challenging and vast. But it is not just that. It has an open, dialogical meaning and is in permanent movement." I also want to rescue the extraordinary compilation made by Ítalo Moriconi, 35 essays by Silviano Santiago, for Companhia das Letras, which allows us to reconstruct a rigorous overview of our author's critical work.

Verbete and compilation served as initial stimuli. Our glossary—I will use the plural because the task was collective—also finds another source of inspiration. This is the ongoing publication of dictionaries and glossaries dedicated to critics and thinkers, among which we can mention the Bourdieu Dictionary by Stephane Chevalier and Christiane Chauviré; the Deleuze Dictionary edited by Adrian Parr; and the Michel Foucault Dictionary organized by Edgardo Castro, among dozens of other possible examples. While this is a common practice in Europe and the United States, there are few examples in Latin America. One of them is the dictionary dedicated to the thought of Michel Foucault, which we just mentioned. The other is, of course, the Jacques Derrida Glossary, organized by Silviano Santiago himself, published in 1976 by Francisco Alves, translated into Spanish by Raúl Rodríguez Freire, published in Argentina in 2015 by El Hilo Rojo, and republished in Portuguese in 2020 by Papéis Selvagens.

In the prologue to the Argentine edition, Silviano Santiago tells us that the idea for an indispensable Jacques Derrida glossary arose in 1974, the year he returned permanently to Brazil from the University at Buffalo, in the United States, where he was a professor in the Department of French Language and Culture. It was within the framework of his courses at the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro that the glossary took shape with the indispensable help of a large group of collaborators. In the introduction Silviano wrote in 1976, he argues that the glossary's objective is to overcome the difficulties that almost any reader faced when faced with Jacques Derrida's writing, which he defines as baroque and iconoclastic. We could add that this glossary not only contributes to clarifying an opaque writing like Derrida's, but also injects, like a virus, the thought of deconstruction into Brazilian academia.

Our glossary points in the same direction, although for different reasons. Silviano's thought is not baroque, although it has remained iconoclastic from its beginnings. And while his books and ideas circulate throughout Brazilian and Latin American academia, the diversity and temporal scope of his output, which he himself constantly rereads, readjusts, and updates with new concepts, makes him a complex author. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that his critical output is part of an even broader body of work, which encompasses fiction and journalistic chronicles. This kind of amphibiology is taking shape as an extensive system, woven through dialogues and reverberations, with the aim of proposing a reinterpretation of Brazilian, Latin American, and Western cultural histories and traditions, exerting performative effects on the present. Silviano thus proposes not only the invention of new conceptual categories—many of which have become fundamental and widely used by Brazilian and Latin American critics—but also the revitalization, appropriation, and re-articulation of a conceptual machinery that, when incorporated into his system, begins to operate according to other logics. This breadth and complexity have prompted us to shape our glossary.

The origin of the project arose from a proposal I made to André Botelho in mid-2024, a proposal that was generously and immediately accepted. From there, and with the indispensable collaboration of Caroline Tresoldi, we began to think about the concepts to address and developed an initial shortlist. The goal was always to include Silviano's fictional work, because we understood it to be a key part of his thinking. The same was true of some of the authors he frequently criticized, such as Mário de Andrade and Guimarães Rosa. We wanted to conceptually map his written work, regardless of genre, so that the glossary would become a possible image of Silviano's system. Finally, we invited a group of contributors from beyond Brazil, something we achieved with the input of distinguished colleagues from Argentina, Chile, and Spain.

The entries in this glossary, therefore, seek to reinterpret key concepts and shed light on lesser-known ones. Among the key concepts, Wander Melo Miranda addresses the concept of “Between-Place,” Paloma Vidal addresses the concept of “Cosmopolitanism of the Poor,” Maurício Hoelz develops “Insertion/Formation,” while we add more recent concepts, but destined to become classics, such as “Ferocity,” explored by Mary Luz Estupiñán; “Graphics of Life,” developed by Florencia Garramuño; “Prison Form,” analyzed by Diana Klinger; and “Discrepant Cosmopolitanisms,” by my authorship. Seven concepts in total comprise  sort of backbone of Silviano's thought.

We also incorporate fundamental themes and recurrences, such as "Childhood," written by Célia Pedrosa; "Infidelity," written by Raúl Rodríguez Freire; "Queer," developed by Ítalo Moriconi; and "Joy," written by Gustavo Silveira Ribeiro. There are two texts that fall into the portrait genre: "Impurity," by Daniel Link, and "Silviano Santiago 1970," by Jorge Wolff. Frederico Coelho, meanwhile, examines Silviano's reading of the counterculture in the entry "Counterculture," and, in contrast, Denilson Lopes addresses the concept of "Postmodern."

Max Hidalgo Nácher revisits Silviano through Derrida and proposes the entry "Deconstruction." Andre Bittencourt does something similar with "Difference and Repetition," and, in his own way, but reviving one of Silviano Santiago's first concepts, Hugo Herrera Pardo develops "Seed."

Finally, as we anticipated, we include writers central to Silviano's work. Thus, "Mário de Andrade" is analyzed by André Botelho; "Graciliano Ramos" is explored by Rodrigo Jorge; "Machado de Assis" by Mónica Fabiola González García; and Guimarães Rosa, through the work "Grande Sertão: Veredas" by Gabriel Martins da Silva.

This collective project, composed of 22 short stories that will be published weekly in Portuguese and Spanish, not only pays homage to the breadth and depth of Silviano Santiago's thought, but also seeks to promote new readings, new dialogues, and new critical possibilities based on his work, reaffirming his undeniable importance in the contemporary intellectual landscape of Brazil and Latin America.

To conclude, I thank on my behalf, on behalf of André Botelho and Caroline Tresoldi, all the colleagues who collaborated, with enthusiasm and dedication, in the construction of this vast and vibrant conceptual map.

About the author

Mario Cámara is a professor of Brazilian literature at the University of Buenos Aires, a professor of literary theory at the National University of the Arts and an independent researcher at CONICET.
Related

Symposium | “Glossário de Derrida”, by Silviano Santiago (Org.)
09/29/2020
In "BVPS Ideas"

Resenha | Mines é o mundo: a journey and the glossário, by Gabriel Martins da Silva
03/22/2024
In "Disclosures"

Glossario Silviano Santiago | Semente, by Hugo Herrera Pardo
08.05.2025
In "Glossário Silviano Santiago"