Abstract This interview with the São Paulo sociologist Gabriel Cohn was conducted in 2019 by André Botelho, Antonio Brasil Jr. and Elina Pessanha, and includes short biographical notes and a record of his experience as a student and later professor at the University of São Paulo. Prompted by the interviewers, Gabriel speaks about the importance of the classic authors, the influence of German social theory, and the theoretical challenges faced in producing a ‘fine-grained’ analysis of society.