Through the dialogue between the writings of Nelson Rodrigues and Manuel Bandeira`s poetry, an attempt is made to overcome some of the prejudice that marks the reception of Nelson Rodrigues`s work. Rodrigues reread reality on his very own way, but never failing to show the truth, or A vida como ela. (Life As It Is). The subtle line between the real and the fictional, journalism and literature, is the hallmark of his work; reality turns into news copy, which is ficcionalized into crônicas, which are made into short stories, which turn into plays, which turn into novels, which turn back into plays. The sexual motif is central in Rodrigues`s work, but his discourse is always a defense of love. If Bandeira`s poetry is a passionate search, so is Rodrigues`s writing, as it represents human beings` unceasing search for erotic gratification; in this way he achieved in prose everything that Manuel had done in poetry.