Two cont’d: 0:00—A grave meeting. 6:06—Under the gingko tree. 10:26—The knocking at the gate. 15:46—The woman escapes. 16:34—Interlude.

Three. 17:43— Researcher & rogue. 23:15— Kō-San’s diary. 26:56—Hereditary transmission. 33:37—Japanese relations. 35:2608—Conclusion. 38:13—Dickensian childhood. 40:10—Dysfunctional marriage. 42:25—Bad karma. 44:34—Sōseki on the Russo-Japanese War. 55:05—Tasteless criticism. 1:04:14—The Japanese Spirit. 1:09:39—Closing.

Text: Natsume Sōseki, The Heredity of Taste. Translated by Sammy I. Tsunematsu. Boston: Tuttle, 2004.

Interlude: “Tasogare” (“Twilight”), performed by Soy Nakamura, Japanese Music for Koto and Shakuhachi, Toshiba Records, Internet Archive.

Illustration: Natsume Sōseki (1910), Wikimedia.

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One. 0:00—Apology. 1:57— Sōseki’s reputation. 4:26—Writing The Heredity of Taste. 6:01—The dogs of war. 10:07: Banzai! 14:26—General Nogi. 17:17—The narrator. 18:40—Digressions. 22:27—Aaagh! 24:25—A true war story. 26:26—A question of tone. 30:00—Vitality & neurasthenia. 33:37—The best of Japan. 36:16—Interlude.

Two: 38:37—A lyrical passage. 41:09—Port Arthur. 43:01—Human bullets. 44:04—November 26, 1905. 47:15—A distant observer. 48:40—Dogs, ants, spiders, snakes, snails, & tadpoles. 50:13—Kō-San’s rise & fall. 52:23—The call of the war. 57:09—In the ditch. 1:02:37—The final tally. 1:04:06—Closing.

Text: Natsume Sōseki, The Heredity of Taste. Translated by Sammy I. Tsunematsu. Boston: Tuttle, 2004.

Interlude: “Battoutai,”Japanese Old Gunka (Military March) Collection, Internet Archive.

Illustration: Natsume Sōseki (1912), "Portraits of Modern Japanese Historical Figures," National Diet Library, Japan.

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Chapters 17-20: 0:00—Girls’ school. 6:37—Byron’s character. 9:57—Shinoda’s sermon. 12:17—Workers’ meeting. 19:26—Interlude.

Chapters 21-23: 20:21—Umeko eyes Matsushima. 28:00—General Aritomo Yamagata. 30:41—Shutting down Shinoda. 31:27—Why war? 37:10—Imperialism. 44:09—Interlude.

Chapters 24-30: 45:05—Shinoda in Chichibu. 52:18—Comrade Azuma. 55:15—Society strikes back. 1:03:18—Political posturing. 1:06:30—Closing.

Text: Kinoshita, Naoe. Pillar of Fire. Translated by Kenneth Strong. London: George Allen & Unwin. 1972.

Interlude: Ensemble Nipponia, "Edo No Uta", performed by Minoru Miki and Ayako Handa, Soloists of the Ensemble Nipponia (1976, Nonesuch Records, H-72072, Internet Archive).

Illustration: Naoe Kinoshita, 1937 (Wikipedia).

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Thanks to Professor David Ambaras and the students of HIS 573: Japan's Empire in Asia, 1868-1945, NCSU, Fall 2024.

Chapters 8-10: 0:00—Ohora & Matsushima at the geisha house. 4:35—Kanekichi. 6:46—Girls & geishas. 12:37—Koyone & Kanekichi. 14:44—Hanakichi & O-Roku & the monster. 18:15—Interlude.

Chapters 11-16: 19:03—Licking boots. 20:40—Trampling on love. 22:03—Such slobbering. 23:08—Celebrating geishas. 25:20—Christmas at Shinoda’s. 27:05—Climbing aboard. 28:42—Prince Itō. 32:48—Itō & Yamaki & Matsushima. 38:50—Closing.

Text: Kinoshita, Naoe. Pillar of Fire. Translated by Kenneth Strong. London: George Allen & Unwin. 1972.

Interlude: Yatsuhashi Kengyo, "Midare," performed by Reiko Kimura, January 15, 1998, National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C.

Illustration: Naoe Kinoshita, 1937 (Wikipedia).

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Contact: jimjneilson@gmail.com

Thanks to Professor David Ambaras and the students of HIS 573: Japan's Empire in Asia, 1868-1945, NCSU, Fall 2024.

Chapters 1-3: 0:00—January 1904. 2:35—Meiji Japan. 7:49—Marrying Umeko. 9:56: Gozo Yamaki & the Reverend. 13:52—Injury & injustice. 20:20—Women & child labor. 22:27—Waking society. 24:46—Shinoda. 27:55—Prominent Protestants. 30:30—Yamaki & Ohora. 31:44—Interlude.

Chapters 4-6: 32:08—The zaibatsu. 36:11—Shipbuilding. 38:28—O-Kame & Umeko. 40:17—Church garden party. 43:35—Shinoda & Umeko. 45:25—Politics & manners. 46:35—Socialism & feminism. 50:18—Interlude.

Chapter 7: 50:44—Rickshaw knowledge. 52:49—People’s Weekly/Heimin Shimbun. 55:15—Japanese socialism. 56:32—A Russian comrade. 1:01:43—Our emperor. 1:04:37—Kotoku Shusui. 1:09:25—The power of the pen. 1:12:06—The greater learning for women. 1:12: 56—Closing.

Text: Kinoshita, Naoe. Pillar of Fire. Translated by Kenneth Strong. London: George Allen & Unwin. 1972.

Interlude: "Godan-Kinuta" (Music of Weaving), The Koto Music of Japan (1965, Nonesuch HS-72005), Internet Archive.

Illustration: Naoe Kinoshita, 1937 (Wikipedia).

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Contact: jimjneilson@gmail.com

Thanks to Professor David Ambaras and the students of HIS 573: Japan's Empire in Asia, 1868-1945, NCSU, Fall 2024.

0:00—The Faubourg Saint-Germain. 3:18—Sitting between opposites. 4:37—Salon culture. 9:44—Meet the Lantys. 13:01—Gothic conventions. 14:18—The gentleman in black. 15:45—Comte de Saint-Germain. 18:35—Count Alessandro di Cagliostro. 20:07—Quackeries. 25:00—The old man & Madame Rochefide. 28:56—Adonis on a lion skin. 30:34—Interlude.

30:46—Sarrasine’s boyhood. 32:24—Edmé Bouchardon. 33:28—Prix de Rome. 34:52—Reverance for Rome. 38:00—Jommelli & Zambinella. 41:29—Sketchy behavior. 42:15—Private happiness. 43:16—Lounging Zambinella. 47:23—Sexual assault. 48:20—Cardinal Cicognara. 49:40—One word. 51:35—The castrati tradition. 57:01—You monster. 1:00:05—Adonis & Endymion. 1:01:36—Fortunate singers. 1:03:55—Another possibility. 1:05:45—Fantastic vs. Realistic. 1:14:004—Interlude.

1:14:16—S/Z. 1:19:23—Antitheses. 1:20:40—A hole in the discourse. 1:22:35—Hastening & retarding. 1:23:58—Endymion/Adonis. 1:25:40—Aphanasis. 1:26:55—Historical characters. 1:27:47—Lubrication. 1:31:58—Madonna with raised eyes. 1:33:16—Kinky-haired scamp. 1:35:47—Fortunate castrati. 1:36:37—A sordid origin.

Texts:

Balzac, Honoré. “Sarassine.” The Girl with the Golden Eyes, and Other Stories. Translated by Peter Collier. Oxford Univ. Press, 2012, pp. 3-37.

Barthes, Roland. S/Z. Translated by Richard Miller. Hill and Wang, 1974.

Interludes: Niccolo Jommelli, Diodone Abbandonata (1747), performed by Teatro Filamonico di Verona Italy, March, 2021, www.operaonvideo.com.

Illustration: Honoré de Balzac, 1842, and Roland Barthes, 1979 (Wikipedia)

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Chapters 7-12: 0:00—The beginning of a desire. 7:30—An escape route. 8:13—P.A. Daum. 11:22—Coffee with Aunt Clara. 14:13—Very unpleasant. 16:16—Interlude.

Chapters 13-21: 17:30—Her soiled roots. 20:31—Precocious degradation. 23:52—Disinformation & denial. 27:00—Hereditary or existential despair. 31:49—Depression. 32:56—Sick Europeans. 34:42—Four or five good years. 38:29—Climate change. 43:12—The dreary normal. 45:57—His spirit is sick. 46:46—In a Chinese shop. 48:18—Suicide prevention. 50:15—The phantasmagoria. 52:05—Colonial life goes on. 54:08—Abrupt ending. 55:47—A more satisfying closing.

Text: P.A. Daum, Ups and Downs of Life in the Indies. Translated by Elsje Quinn Sturtevant and Donald W. Sturtevant. Univ. of Massachusetts Press, 1987.

Interludes: Erik Satie, Gnossienne No. 4 (1891), performed by Takuma Sugawara, 2024.

Illustration: Huygens Instituut.

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Chapters 1-3: 0:00—Multatuli, Couperus & Daum. 2:40—Country & city. 3:45—Blowing the lid off. 6:17—Corruption. 7:15—The overseer Jozef. 9:55—Night sounds & savage voices. 13:32—The colonialist’s nightmare. 15:50—The lid in place. 16:30—Government overreaction. 20:09—Taking the bait. 23:05—Vague, faceless figures. 26:21—Interlude.

Chapters 4-5: 26:57—What an awful man. 30:01—Little Lena. 33:40—The heart of the matter. 37:06—Corruption. 39:54—BHP Billiton. 42:02—A successful pudding. 45:06—Interlude.

Chapters 5-6: 45:35—An emotional vortex. 53:30—Eddy & Freddy. 56:10—Get the hell out. 58:15—The degenerated branch. 1:02:32—The Uhlstras. 1:03:33—Seeing Twissels.

Text: P.A. Daum, Ups and Downs of Life in the Indies. Translated by Elsje Quinn Sturtevant and Donald W. Sturtevant. Univ. of Massachusetts Press, 1987.

Interludes: Erik Satie, Gnossienne No. 6 (1897), performed by Andreas Pfaul.

Illustration: DBNL: Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren.

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Contact: jimjneilson@gmail.com