Talk:Lafcadio Hearn

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Sources[edit]

This article claims to be drawn largely from the 11th edition of the Encyclopedia Brittanica, but includes only two citations. These citations lead to 1) a dead link and 2) an archived link from an indeterminate source. I don't know the guidelines that cover the use of material from a source in the public domain, but I'm certain that you can't 1) copy wholesale or 2) use that material without individual citation. The article doesn't even have a "References" section beyond the aforementioned Encyclopedia Britannica. Someone who knows something about this needs to fix it, because as it stands it's at best almost entirely unsourced and at worst plagiarism. Rem01 03:35, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

Name[edit]

If he elected his name Lafcadio, how was he called before? -- Error

Patrick according to some other sites on the web.--Malcohol 13:12, 7 Mar 2005 (UTC)

An old query deserving an answer: his legal name was Patrick Lafcadio Hearn.75.21.115.123 (talk) 08:00, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Nationality[edit]

It seems typical to ascribe a nationalities to people. In the case of Hearn, I think he is typically considered Irish (prior, of course, to his taking Japanese citizenship). --Malcohol 13:12, 7 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Could be considered British too - father an Irish Protestant in the British Army. Starviking (talk) 10:06, 3 June 2008 (UTC)

'British' is a name for a citizen of the current UK, or the nationality of a resident of Britain. If anything, this son of an Irishman and a Greekwoman who was born in Greece had Irish and Greek 'nationality', and later Japanese citizenship. 86.41.6.184 (talk) 16:22, 4 November 2010 (UTC)

Irish is certainly a valid description of his nationality and probably the best in the context of his upbringing and parentage, but during his lifetime he would have been British, inherited by Jus sanguinis through his father's British nationality, but also directly because he was born in the United States of the Ionian Islands, a British protectorate. He would have acquired Greek nationality through his mother also by Jus sanguinis.--DavidCane (talk) 22:32, 10 June 2011 (UTC)

I'd assume he was a US citizen through most of his adult life, certainly as a writer, in tone and audience, he would have been considered an American. Maybe that should be stated as well. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.160.218.42 (talk) 23:43, 10 April 2012 (UTC)

1st marriage[edit]

What happened to Mattie Foley, and Lafcadios's marriage with her? Did they divorce?

Or more likely, did it just sort of cease to be (annuled?) based on it being "illegal"?

And at what point? Were his moves to Martinique and New Orleans in any way related to having a black wife? Might she have been FROM either of those 2 places?

If this is all unknown, something to that effect should be mentioned. I was kind of shocked when I got to the "...married Setsue" part!

66.3.106.4 (talk) 07:02, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Trivia[edit]

Excellent article. When I visited the Hearn Museum in Matsue in 1999 I noticed that they were playing a Loreena McKennitt CD in the background, presumably because she is Irish. Thomas144 18:18, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

Marriages?[edit]

I'm starting a new heading to draw attention to this question already asked above. What happened to Lafcadio's first marriage to Mattie Foley? When he remarried had she died? Had they divorced? Was he a bigamist? Or was the first marriage anulled perhaps? --El benito 16:22, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

What happens in Japan, stays in Japan. ;)--Kross ^Talk 15:29, 2 July 2006 (UTC)

At the time mixed-race marriages were illegal, so it was forcibly annuled by the US courts. Mattie re-maried, but did not lead a happy life and died in poverty.MightyAtom 00:47, 3 July 2006 (UTC)

Greek[edit]

In Greek, he's known as Λευκάδιος (standard spelling of nominative case form); maybe that should be put into the article... AnonMoos 02:04, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, that should definitely be added. Go ahead and put it in! MightyAtom 03:59, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

Lean Hearn[edit]

I think it would be acceptably to add Lean Hearn to the legacy section. She is an author who's real name escapes me, but her pen name is after Patric Hearn. Just a suggestion

Lian Hearn sources Lafcadio Hearn as both an inspiration and as one of her primary references for her novels set in a fictional Japan, so I think it is appropriate to add her.Tathunen (talk) 20:59, 2 August 2008 (UTC)

New Orleans[edit]

I'm not sure how many are awayre of the importance of this man in New Orleans history. I added a New Orleans subheading and an reference at the end that brings to light his contributions to Creole history, in specific creole cooking.Kcuello

20:40, 30 November 2007 (UTC)

Are there really more books written about him than any other resident of New Orleans than Armstrong? For example, Lee Harvey Oswald was from New Orleans and there sure have been a lot of books written about him. Walt Whitman was also a resident of New Orleans.

Patrick?[edit]

Why does he go by Lafcadio Hearn, excising his first name, Patrick? And why doesn't the article even mention this fact? —Frungi (talk) 08:03, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

v. old question, but I'd expect the answer is that many Irish men named Patrick go by their middle names, to avoid being confused with all the other Patricks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Aantia (talk • contribs) 00:01, 7 November 2016 (UTC)

Bad memory needs assistance[edit]

Didn't I post a couple of queries here recently? About Hearn's blindness--which the article avoids--and about his true stature in Japan today? Did someone erase that or did I just forget to post? I hope someone can post an answer here. And shame on you if you did erase anything posted here.75.21.115.123 (talk) 14:40, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Generalizations[edit]

"In the late 19th century, Japan was still largely unknown and exotic to Westerners. However, with the introduction of Japanese aesthetics, particularly at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900, Japanese styles became fashionable in Western countries. Consequently, Hearn became known to the world by his writings concerning Japan. In later years, some critics would accuse Hearn of exoticizing Japan, but because he offered the West some of its first descriptions of pre-industrial and Meiji Era Japan, his work has historical value.[4]"

This statement feels very wrong. Westerners? Which ones? Japanese styles? This is an extensive generalization. Japonisme and sterotypical Japanese aesthetics had been popular long before, since at least the 1870s, particularly in France. Perhaps there was a resurgance? Perhaps in the U.S.? There must be room to make this more specific. These types of generalizing statements about "us" consuming "them" from both the U.S. and Japanese sources are part of the narrative that enforces the exoticizing. If you are a scholar who knows more about this can you help make this more specific? The statement about offering the first descriptions of pre-industrial and Meiji Japan particularly seems wrong with the history of the Dutch at Dejima. U of Iowa's library catalog lists no less than 15 accounts of Japan just from the 1850-1860. Even Mark Twain wrote an account of travels to Japan before Hearn. I don't know the details enough to make an accurate change, but I know this needs clarification. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2620:0:E50:1016:D42D:B876:26A9:88B7 (talk) 14:54, 27 June 2012 (UTC)

Bad Link[edit]

The external link for Project Gutenberg does not find recent issues. "The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn, Volume 1", etc, is missing.Gc9580 (talk) 13:40, 28 March 2013 (UTC)

Fake 'japanese' legends?[edit]

It appears some "Japanese" stories he "collected" lack of knowing Japanese culture and details, it looks like he did not know Japanese and could not read. Like The white butterfly story show extremely silly mistakes like age or dates on tombstones or having betrothed. Has anyone seen any analysis for that? Rambalac (talk) 15:56, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

The claim that he could not read or write Japanese is incorrect. Many of his original manuscripts penned in his hand are on display at the recently renovated, Koizumi Hakuma Memorial Museum in Matsue city, Shimane Prefecture. I am a distant relative of Lefcadio through his mother and also grew up in Japan. I can also attest to his linguistic proficiency. I don't quite understand what you mean by the mistakes in the ages and dates, but if you clarified your question I might be able to help. Dr.khatmando (talk) 04:31, 20 May 2017 (UTC)

I'm not a wikipedia editor and don't know how to do this, but he translated Flaubert and his translations continue to be reprinted in modern editions, the Modern Library called his "The Temptation of Saint Anthony" distinguished, this should probably be mentioned — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:151:4680:67A:28F7:853E:7202:A9CA (talk) 17:52, 2 February 2018 (UTC)

Hi, That does sound interesting, and with the right source citations would probably improve the article. Lefcado led an interesting and accomplished life, but no doubt it was challenging. And doing his life justice through a WP articles is challenging too...a slow going as the the material we need is in several languages in several countries. But if people still get joy from his writing, then perhaps the article will I'm;rove in the end. Thanks for your input, and I hope you might have a go at contributing to WP sometime in the future. Dr.khatmando (talk)-

Full name/ different versions of his name[edit]

How does the statement '... he seems to have been called "Patrick Lefcadio Kassimati Charles Hearn" in English' square with the accompanying sourced note 'According to one of his biographers, a family Bible records 'Patricio Lafcadio Tessima Carlos Hearn, August 1850.' Kennard, Nina H. (1912). Lafcadio Hearn. New York: D. Appleton and Co.'? These are two different names, so the initial statement- viz. that a middle name was 'Kassimati' rather than 'Tessima'- appears to be unsupported by the Kennard source. Is 'Tessima' another form of 'Kassimati'? If so, this ought to be indicated. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.2.125.55 (talk) 22:42, 3 January 2019 (UTC)

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