The Personal Odyssey of Lafcadio Hearn *Online* *NEW*

Although mostly forgotten these days, Lafcadio Hearn (1850–1904) was once well-known as a reporter and travel writer who interpreted Japanese culture for the West. But that is hardly the whole of his remarkable life, in which he survived abandonment by his parents, losing sight in one eye, and being tossed out onto the streets without a cent. He became a successful reporter, travel writer, and teacher, with two interracial marriages, all the while traveling and getting acquainted with common folk across Greece, Ireland, Martinique, Japan, and the United States. We’ll take a look at the tortuous course of his life and the world he lived in, how he interpreted it, and the stories he still can tell us. Chronologies and a bibliography provided.

Instructor: Brian Bixby