Patricia's latest gays in sports article is on pioneering balloonist Alberto Santos-Dumont. She does a great job of getting you into the story of someone almost none of us has heard about.

Another interesting, well-written piece by Patricia Nell Warren. I definitely never heard of Santos-Dumont before. With the hoopla over the Wright Bros. anniversary it's a good read.

Patricia received this e-mail from Brazil:

Dear Patricia,

Congratulations on your genial article about our dashing little saint of aviation, Santos-Dumoont published by Outsports.com (http://www.outsports.com/history/santosdumont.htm). This is an age for questioning the great myths, the basis and the deepest rooths of our societies. As a writer, and simply putting it, you exceed extraordinarily in doing this.

I'm sure I speak for many of my Brazilians compatriots: thank you for the recognition you gave Santos-Dumont as the great inovator and sportsman that he indeed was. The tragic end held in reserved by society to those who did not fit the sexual norms in those days must be pointed out today. Especially since homophobia still continues to be part of the discurse emanating from the pulpits across the modern Western world.

I will take the liberty to say that, as far as I'm concerned, you now stand tall together with the great Dr. Luiz Mott of Brazil in writing about Santos-Dumont.

Sincerely,

-PB

Funny, I am currently reading the new biography of Santos-Dumont Wings of Madness. My beau gave it to me for Christmas. I had not noticed the article here at Outsports, so I'm looking forward to seeing it. The book is good, but I think not as good as it could be-rather repetitive and often flat when telling what could be a riveting story.

[ January 09, 2004, 07:13 AM: Message edited by: shore ]

More feedback:

Dear Mrs.Warren,

As a Brazilian-American I feel the need to thank you for bring to light
a
lot more of who Mr.Dumont was. And also for teaching me about the
Father of
Aviation, as he's widely known in Brazil.

According to what you said in the web, he can be popular in his native
country, and often his name is mentioned in schools throughout Brazil.
However, little is taught about the person and that was what intrigued
me
the most. Your article opened my eyes to many interesting facts of this
anti-hero's life.

Thanks again and again.

Robert

Interesting article. Last month, on the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' flight, there was an article in the Globe & Mail on Santos-Dumont. As mentioned in the article (as in the feedback above), Brazilian schoolchildren are taught that Santos-Dumont is the father of aviation.