Join us for EMBCA’s “The Many Worlds of Lafcadio Hearn” Webinar Panel Discussion on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 2 PM EDT/9 PM Athens EEST. The discussion will be introduced and moderated by Lou Katsos, President of EMBCA.

Our distinguished panel will include Dr. Simon J. Bronner, Dean of the College of General Studies and Distinguished Professor of Social Studies at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee; journalist, author, academic, and President of the Lafcadio Hearn Society/USA Steve Kemme; globally recognized Japanese contemporary artist Masaaki Noda, creator of monumental public sculptures dedicated to Hearn’s legacy; sociologist, author, poet, and Director of the Hellenic American Project at Queens College Professor Nicholas Alexiou; and acclaimed multidisciplinary artist, trauma-informed practitioner, and wellness educator Agni Zotis, creator of the Fireflies series inspired by Hearn’s writings.

This will be EMBCA’s fourth panel discussion exploring the enduring legacy of Hellenic-Irish writer Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo), one of the most remarkable literary figures of the nineteenth century and a pioneering American journalist, ethnographer, storyteller, and interpreter of cultures.

Born in Lefkada, Hellas, to a Hellenic mother and an Irish father, Hearn’s extraordinary life carried him from Hellas and Ireland to the United States and ultimately to Japan, where he became known as Koizumi Yakumo. Although celebrated for introducing Japan to Western audiences, his formative years in America profoundly shaped his literary voice and lifelong fascination with culture, identity, folklore, spirituality, and ordinary life.

The discussion will examine Hearn’s journey across four civilizations and how his experiences in Cincinnati and New Orleans prepared him to become one of the world’s greatest interpreters of Japan. As a journalist and ethnographer, he documented immigrant communities, African American life, Creole traditions, religion, folklore, food, architecture, and everyday experience with uncommon empathy and insight. Long before ethnography became an established academic discipline, Hearn sought to understand cultures from within rather than merely observe them from without.

The panel will explore how Hearn’s American experiences influenced his later writings in Japan, including Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan, Kwaidan, and Kokoro. It will also consider his contributions to literature, journalism, folklore, comparative religion, translation, and cultural anthropology.

Hearn’s observations on nature, memory, spirituality, aesthetics, and humanity’s relationship with the natural world continue to inspire writers, scholars, educators, filmmakers, and visual artists. Contemporary interpretations demonstrate how his vision continues to generate new conversations across cultures and artistic forms.

Hearn’s life remains especially relevant in today’s interconnected world. He understood that genuine cultural understanding begins with curiosity, humility, and empathy. By immersing himself in the traditions, beliefs, and daily lives of the people among whom he lived, he became one of history’s great literary ambassadors between civilizations.

More than 120 years after his passing, Lafcadio Hearn belongs not only to Hellenic, Irish, American, or Japanese history, but to the world.

EMBCA is an organization exempt from Federal Income Tax under Internal Revenue (IRC) Section 501(c)(3), classified as a public charity, and qualifies to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under Section 2055, 2106, or 2522 . Donors can deduct contributions they make under IRC Section 170. Thank you all again for your continuing enthusiasm and support of our events !!