“Erotic Odyssey” is intimate and powerful poetry by queer author Bento Verboto

There’s a new literary odyssey coming, but this time it’s not about Ulysses. The person in charge of this story is queer author Bento Verboto. A native of Rio de Janeiro, he writes and illustrates his “Erotic Odyssey” (R$65, Sophia Editora), a powerful work of poetry classified as “a mind-blowing journey through constant chaos.” In his first book, Bento wants the reader to feel the ecstasy of each relationship he experiences. It’s no wonder he suggests soundtracks for many of his poems.

“When I started, my readers liked the idea of ​​each poem having a song, because each song for me is a story, just like a poem. And mixed together, they make the creation more palpable, almost as if we were inside a new reality and an imagery constructed by the textual and sound experience.”

He says that “I come from a small town, in the interior of Rio, and as a multi-artist and queer, I am fighting for my space here. I have been paving the way for my art and personal achievements, such as the book and my work with blind contours and continuous lines in ‘Odisseia Erótica’. Everything is done with love, hands and fire”.

“The Odyssey took shape, features, names and styles from the beginning of the pandemic. In that directionless chaos, I needed to write and illustrate more and more each day to feel that I could say what I felt both for myself and to comfort others.”

“Erotic Odyssey” – Sophia Editora (buy by clicking here)