João do Rio was the pseudonym of the Brazilian journalist, short-story writer and playwright João Paulo Emílio Cristóvão dos Santos Coelho Barreto, a Brazilian author and journalist of African descent (August 5, 1881, Rio de Janeiro - June 23, 1921, Rio de Janeiro). He was elected on May 7, 1910 for the chair # 26 of Brazilian Academy of Letters. João do Rio was the author of many books, plays, essays, and articles. Among the few translated into English are "Vertiginous Life" and "Religions in Rio." Translator Ana Lessa-Schmidt, Ph.D., is a scholar of Brazilian culture, senior translation editor at New London Librarium, and translator of books by João do Rio and Machado de Assis.