Maria João Maciel Jorge, professor and Associate Dean of Global and Community Engagement, released her newest book, The Hyphen: And Other Thoughts From the In-Between, with publisher Arquipélago Press. Within the pages of The Hyphen readers will find a collection of thoughtful and poignant essays exploring cultural heritage, hyphenated identity and the enduring pull of memory through the perspective of Maciel Jorge, an Azorean Canadian immigrant and academic.

Exploring topics of folklore, Portuguese literature, emigration and exile, Maciel Jorge contemplates her “in-between life,” one filled with discovery and possibilities.

“Maria João Maciel Jorge shares a deeply personal narrative of identity and belonging,” says Irene Maria F. Blayer, a Professor at Brock University. “Having migrated from the Azores to Canada, she finds herself in a liminal space, not quite Portuguese, not entirely Canadian, and grappling with the intricacies of her Azorean heritage… This book exposes the often-overlooked reality of being underestimated and stereotyped based on one’s regional background. These are not narratives about lost identity or cultural abandonment. Instead, they are a candid exploration of embracing a dual heritage, navigating the challenges and joys of living between two worlds.”

“This collection of short essays is smart, cleverly crafted and packed with insight and humour,” says Esmeralda Cabral, the author of How to Clean a Fish: And Other Adventures in Portugal. “Some of these stories made me laugh out loud. Others made me think and will stay with me for a long time. A most enjoyable read.”

A first-generation scholar, Maria João Maciel Jorge immigrated to Canada from the Azores in 1989 and holds a PhD from the University of Toronto. She is an Associate Professor of Portuguese and Luso-Brazilian Studies and Associate Dean of Global and Community Engagement in the faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies at York University. Her research and academic publications focus on early modern Spanish and Portuguese literature, colonial and New World encounters, and Portuguese island culture and literature. For her work in raising the profile of the Azores abroad, including the creation of an undergraduate course at York University focused on the culture and literature of the Azores, Professor Maciel Jorge received a Medal for Professional Merit from the Government of the Azores in 2019.