Elizabeth Bishop, the Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet, sought inspiratin in Brazil, where she met and fell in love with Lota de Macedo Soares, a self-trained Brazilian architect. The fact that these two women had an intimate relationship caused an uproar when it first came to public notice. This dual biography follows their relationship from 1951 to 1967, the time when the two lived together in Brazil. A tale of two artists and two cultures, ""Rare and Commonplace Flowers"" offers unusual perspectives on both women and their work. Carmen L. Oliveira provides great depth of detail from both her familiarity with Brazil and her access to the country's artistic elite, many of whom had a direct connection with Bishop and Soares. Rare pictures of the two artists and their home help to bring this story to life.