Jack Brown

Jack Brown participated in the 2024 CLS Portuguese Program hosted by Pontifical Catholic University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Jack is currently pursuing a PhD in romance studies at Cornell University. His research deals with representations of the body in contemporary Latin American speculative fiction. One of his professional goals is to teach Portuguese as a second language.

Why Portuguese?

As a scholar of Latin American literature, I felt Spanish was not enough to do the job and decided to learn Portuguese as a way of seeing where these different histories converge and differ. Plus, Brazilian internet culture is just too good.

A Favorite Word

Tagarela - a chatterbox. Phonetically speaking, it is so pleasing.

Career Goals

In the future, I'd like to teach Portuguese as a second language! Besides the evident linguistic skills, my CLS experience has also given me the tools to understand the different social, political, and cultural dynamics at play in Brazil.

CLS’s Impact

CLS helped me explore my field more thoroughly and make long-lasting connections, both personal and professional. Thanks to the time I spent in Brazil on CLS, I feel I am able to better understand the work I do with Brazilian literature.