ALAMO OLIVEIRA E ANTHONY BARCELLOS

On Thursday I was at Fresno State for a talk by José Henrique Alamo Oliveira, Portuguese man of letters, on Portugal’s “Carnation Revolution” of April 25, 1974. I already had a copy of Álamo’s “I No Longer Like Chocolates” (English translation by my friends Diniz Borges and Kathie Baker), so I obtained the original Portuguese version (“Já Não Gosto de Chocolates”). Álamo kindly signed them both for me.

To me, “Chocolates” is a cautionary tale about the bottomlessness of the well of bitterness, from which Álamo’s main character cannot stop drinking. His children are spurning their heritage, and the old man is bereft. The setting is Tulare County, among its many Azorean immigrants. I can identify with that! (Photo credit: Kathi Mendes Gulley)

Image may contain: 2 people, including José Henrique Alamo Oliveira, people smiling, suit
Image may contain: José Henrique Alamo Oliveira