Michael J. Blouin
In American discourse, Japan is routinely imagined as a supernatural entity. Gothic tales from these cultures are exchanged, adapted, and consumed. By analyzing this phenomenon, in texts ranging from those of Lafcadio Hearn to the films of Shimizu Takashi, Blouin explores the relationship between the two countries as well as the layers of complexity that accompany constructions of foreignness. Specifically, in response to the rise of a 'Global Gothic,' Blouin interprets these unsettling works to be evidence of a 'cosmopolitan Gothic,' one that refuses satisfactory enclosure and advocates a turn inward to re-invigorate dialogues upon the world stage.
