1. Turf Battles in Rio de Janeiro from the 1960s to the Present. This major research project tracks relationships between favelas (squatter settlements) and adjacent middle-class neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro over the course of the 20th century. I am using a combination of oral history, periodical research, and archival investigation of urban planning and bureaucratic relations to study the growth of community associations in these neighborhoods and their importance in building and regulating public space and public amenities. This project challenges existing assumption about the "divided city," offering a sober but hopeful view of possibilities for briding class and racial divides in Rio. Expected publication, early 2011

2. The New Journalism under Brazil's Military Dictatorship. This project (currently in preparation for a conference paper, and then publication in an edited volume) explores two conflicting trends in 1960s Brazil: the rise of new journalism, encompassing quasi-literary, gonzo, photorealist and cartoon approaches, and the increasing severity of censorship under the military regime (1964-1985). I will explore the attempt of middle-class leftist journalists to incorporate international styles while responding to domestic problems in an ever-shrinking public debate.