Cláudio Bueno da Silva (photo) has been a Spiritist for 40 years. He was born in the Brazilian city of São Paulo and lives in Osasco, where he works as an accountant. He also works as a volunteer at the Obreiros do Bem Spiritist Institute and is in charge of the books and arts department of the São Paulo State Spiritist Union. He is a Spiritist speaker and writer and has recently published “O Menino Livre de Miritiba” (“The Free Boy from Miritiba”), about the life and work of the great Brazilian author, Humberto de Campos, who wrote before and after returning to the Spirit World.

How did you come up with the idea of writing this book?

 “O Menino Livre de Miritiba” came up from my will to find out more about the academic work of Humberto de Campos. As I had already all his magnificent work as a Spirit, written through the mediumship of Chico Xavier, I imagined that his work as an incarnate must have been important too, because of his talent and intelligence. And I wasn’t wrong. After reading avidly his books, I realised that there was nothing else for me to do apart from sharing with those who appreciate his work, and particularly the Spiritists, the wealth of material I found.

What assessment do you make of Humberto de Campos after studying his work written as an incarnate and later, from the Spirit World?

Humberto de Campos is the same on both planes of life. He has an unmistakable style. The creativity, erudition and humanism that marked him as an incarnate are also present in the great writer who came back “from the world of the shadows”. But after facing the reality of the Spirit World after his return, he accepted ideas that were hadn’t been at the centre of his concerns earlier. That explains why the themes and issues on his books changed after he became a free Spirit and why he then became entirely concerned about issues relating to the Spirit World.

What aspect of the great author’s work has drawn your attention the most?

Some aspects stand out very clearly in the work of Humberto de Campos as an incarnate: his honesty, his humanity and his ethical rigour. These virtues were present across his life as a man, a writer and also as a member of Congress. He served a term and a half as a member of Congress in very difficult political times in Brazil. As a Spiritual author, alongside Chico Xavier, what stands out are his loyalty and dedication to the purpose of describing life in the Spirit World, hailing Jesus Christ and humbly following a programmed designed by the Spiritual Benefactors.

Which of the books written by him as an incarnate touched you the most? Why?

I was completely taken by many works by Humberto de Campos. But without a shadow of a doubt the one that has made the biggest impression on me was “Memórias,” his childhood and youth memories, which he describes with a remarkable degree of honesty of humility. This book was the basis for “O Menino Livre de Miritiba,” in which I tell the story of the writer born in the state of Maranhão. I also enjoyed “Sombras que Sofrem” and “Os Párias”. Both have a number of well written, sound and very moving texts. 

And which of his books written from the Spirit World stood out for you?

Among so many good books, there is one that is particularly interesting because of the number of revelations it brings but also by the intense, and yet serene, manner in which Humberto describes his return to the World of the Spirits: “Crônicas de Além-Túmulo”. The most beautiful book among those dictated to the great medium, however, is “Boa Nova”. In this book, Humberto writes magnificently about three years of apostolate work by Jesus and seals his alliance with the thought of the Master.

And how did you structure your book after all that research?

 “O Menino Livre de Miritiba” is divided in three parts. The first one describes the incredible adventures that Humberto lived as a boy and a young man. The second part has analysis, from a Spiritist perspective, of surprising passages on his work as an incarnate. And the last part has revelations about the life, the thought and the death of Humberto de Campos.

What stays with you from the memories of these studies and research?

That is an interesting question, as everytime I thing about Humberto de Campos I feel the same emotions he described when he wrote about his suffering and challenges. Even facing excruciating pain, he found the strength to write every single day. And, remarkably, the quality of his writing was never affected. It was perhaps helped by the power of his tears.

What aspect of Humberto de Campos’s personality would you like to highlight?

A defining aspect of Humberto de Campos’s personality was his perseverance. Even facing hard challenges and expiations, he always attached himself to a dim light of hope, which enabled him to overcome his problems. Eventually, at the end of his life, a certain degree of resignation helped him accept a power that was stronger than him. If death hadn’t taken him away prematurely from this world, he would certainly have continued to fight, as he always did, with all his might.

Is there anything else you would like to add?