José Cardoso Pires
José Cardoso (2October 192526October 1998) was a Portuguese author of short stories, novels, plays, and political satire. Life and career Early life Pires was born in the Portuguese village of São João do Peso, which is within the district of Castelo Branco near the border of Spain. His father was in the merchant navy and his mother was a homemaker. Pires studied mathematics at the University of Lisbon, where he published his first short story. He left university to join the Portuguese Navy, from which he was later discharged for disciplinary issues. His writing was greatly influenced by the city of Lisbon, the streets of which are described in great detail in his novels and short stories. Some of his paternal family members immigrated to the United States. Pires connected to American writing styles at a time when Portugal looked to France (and somewhat to north-eastern Brazilian regionalism) for its narrative models. In a documentary produced for Portuguese television, Pires spoke about how after he saw his first film as a boy, it led him to seek refuge in cinemas. Pires would recount the plot of the movie to his peers at school. According to Pires, this helped mold his