Saint John the Apostle
The Theologian, The Evangelist, The Elder, The Beloved Disciple, Apostle of Charity
Born	c. 6 AD Galilee
Died	c. 100[1] Ephesus, Asia Minor[2]
Honored in	All Christianity
Feast	December 27 (Western Christianity) September 26 & May 8 (Eastern Christianity)
Attributes	Book, a serpent in a chalice, cauldron, eagle
Patronage	Love, loyalty, friendships, authors, booksellers, burn-victims, poison-victims, art-dealers, editors, papermakers, publishers, scribes, scholars, theologians

John the Apostle (Aramaic Yoħanna, Koine Greek Ἰωάννης) (c. AD 6 – c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome and brother of James, son of Zebedee, another of the Twelve Apostles. Christian tradition holds that he outlived the remaining apostles—all of whom suffered martyrdom (except Judas Iscariot)—and ultimately died of natural causes "in great old age in Ephesus" at the beginning of the second century.^[1] The Church Fathers consider him the same person as John the Evangelist, John of Patmos, and the Beloved Disciple.

The Church Fathers generally identify him as the author of five books in the New Testament: the Gospel of John, three Epistles of John, and the Book of Revelation. The Gospel according to John differs considerably from the synoptic gospels, likely written decades earlier than John's Gospel. The bishops of Asia Minor supposedly requested him to write his gospel to deal with the heresy of the Ebionites, who asserted that Christ did not exist before Mary. John probably knew and undoubtedly approved of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but these gospels spoke of Jesus primarily in the year following the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist).^[3] Around 600, however, Sophronius of Jerusalem noted that "two epistles bearing his name ... are considered by some to be the work of a certain John the Elder" and, while stating that Revelation was written by John on Patmos, it was “later translated by Justin Martyr and Irenaeus”, ^[1] presumably in an attempt to reconcile tradition with the obvious differences in Greek style. On the other hand, many authors in those days employed secretaries often called scribes whose personal styles influenced the final documents. John perhaps employed different scribes for his several works who dictated his words as he was influenced by the Holy Spirit through his meditation, visions, and dreams.

Some modern scholars have raised the possibility that John the Apostle, John the Evangelist, and John of Patmos were three separate individuals.^[4] Certain lines of evidence suggest that John of Patmos wrote Revelation but neither the Gospel of John nor the Epistles of John. For one, the author of Revelation identifies himself as "John" several times, but the author of the Gospel of John never identifies himself directly. Some Catholic scholars state that "vocabulary, grammar, and style make it doubtful that the book could have been put into its present form by the same person(s) responsible for the fourth gospel".^[5]

In the Bible [link]

John the Apostle was the son of Zebedee and the younger brother of James, son of Zebedee (Saint James the Greater). Tradition, based on Sacred Scripture, considers Salome their mother. James and John were the cousins of Jesus and their mother Salome was the younger sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Zebedee and his sons fished in the Lake of Genesareth. James and John first were disciples of Saint John the Baptist, their second cousin. Jesus then called Saint Peter and Saint Andrew, and these two sons of Zebedee to follow Him. James and John did so and thus rank high among the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. James and John both held prominent positions for not only being the first of the disciples to be called but also because of their relationship to Jesus among the Apostles. Jesus referred to the pair collectively as "Boanerges" (translated "sons of thunder") ^[Mk 3:17] being that although their nature was of a calm and gentle manner, when their patience was pushed to its limits their anger became wild, fierce and thunderous causing them to speak out like an untamed storm.

Peter, James and John were the only witnesses of the raising of Daughter of Jairus ^[Mk 5:37].

John and his brother James wanted to call down fire on a Samaritan town, but Jesus rebuked them ^[Lk 9:51-6].

Peter, James, and John also witnessed the Transfiguration^[Mt 17:1].

Jesus sent only John and Peter into the city to make the preparation for the final Passover meal (the Last Supper).^{[Lk 22:8][6]} At the meal itself, the "disciple whom Jesus loved" sat next to Jesus and leaned onto His chest. Tradition identifies this disciple as Saint John^{[Jn 13:23-25]}.

Peter, James, and John also witnessed the Agony in Gethsemane more closely than the other Apostles did ^[Mt 26:37]. After the arrest of Jesus, Peter and the "other disciple" (according to Sacred Tradition, John) followed Him into the palace of the high-priest ^[Jn 18:15]. John, alone among the Apostles, remained near Jesus at the foot of the cross on Calvary alongside myrrhbearers and numerous other women; following the instruction of Jesus from the Cross, John took Mary, the mother of Jesus, into his care as the last legacy of Jesus ^{[Jn 19:25-27]}.

After Jesus’ Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, John, together with Peter, took a prominent part in the founding and guidance of the church. He is with Peter at the healing of the lame man in the Temple.^{[Ac 3:1 et seq.]} With Peter he is also thrown into prison.^[Acts 4:3] He is also with Peter visiting the newly converted in Samaria.^[Acts 8:14]

John survived James by more than half a century after James became the first Apostle to die a martyr's death.

Russian Orthodox icon of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, 18th century (Iconostasis of Transfiguration Church, Kizhi Monastery, Karelia, Russia).

There is no other information in the Bible concerning the duration of this activity in Judea. According to tradition, John and the other Apostles remained some 12 years in this first field of labor, until the persecution of Herod Agrippa I led to the scattering of the Apostles through the various provinces of the Roman Empire. ^{[cf. Ac 12:1-17]}. In any case, a messianic community was already in existence at Ephesus before Paul's first labors there (cf. "the brethren"),^{[Acts 18:27][citation needed]} in addition to Priscilla and Aquila. While he remained in Judea and the surrounding area, the other disciples returned to Jerusalem for the Apostolic Council (about AD 51). Paul, in opposing his enemies in Galatia, recalls that John explicitly, along with Peter and James the Just, were referred to as "pillars of the church" and refers to the recognition that his Apostolic preaching of a gospel free from Jewish Law received from these three, the most prominent men of the messianic community at Jerusalem.^{[Gal 2:9][7]}

Of the other New Testament writings, it is only from the three Letters of John and the Book of Revelation that anything further might be learned about John, if we assume that he was the author of these books. From the Letters and Revelation we may suppose that John belonged to the multitude of personal eyewitnesses of the life and work of Jesus (cf. especially 1 Jn 1:1-5; 4:14), that he had lived for a long time in Asia Minor, was thoroughly acquainted with the conditions existing in the various messianic communities there, and that he had a position of authority recognized by all messianic communities as leader of this part of the church. Moreover, the Book of Revelation says that its author was on the island of Patmos "for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus", when he was honored with the vision contained in Revelation.^[Rev. 1:9]

Though some scholars agree in placing the Gospel of John somewhere between AD 65 and 85,^{[8][page needed]} John A.T. Robinson proposes an initial edition by 50–55 and then a final edition by 65 due to narrative similarities with Paul.^{[9]:pp.284,307} Other critical scholars are of the opinion that John was composed in stages (probably two or three).^[10]:p.43 There is also a strongly held view amongst contemporary scholars that the Gospel was not written until the latter third of the first century CE. The Dean of New Testament at Wake Forest University, Gail R O'Day, writes in her introduction to the Gospel in the New Revised Standard Translation of the Bible ^[11] "...a date of 75-80 CE as the earliest possible date of composition for this Gospel". Other reliable scholars are convinced that an even later date, perhaps even the last decade of the first century CE right up to the turn of the century(i.e. 90 - 100) is applicable.^[12]

The The Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite commemorate the "Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian" on September 26. On May 8 they celebrate the "Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian", on which date Christians used to draw forth from his grave fine ashes which were believed to be effective for healing the sick.

Until 1960, another feast day which appeared in the General Roman Calendar is that of "St John Before the Latin Gate" on May 6, celebrating a tradition recounted by Jerome that St John was brought to Rome during the reign of the Emperor Domitian, and was thrown in a vat of boiling oil, from which he was miraculously preserved unharmed. A church (San Giovanni a Porta Latina) dedicated to him was built near the Latin gate of Rome, the traditional scene of this event.[15]

Other Christians highly revere him but do not canonize or venerate saints.

Until the 19th century, the authorship of the Gospel of John had universally been attributed to the Apostle John. However, critical scholars since then have had their doubts. The Gospel does not make that attribution. Instead, authorship is internally credited to the disciple whom Jesus loved ("ο μαθητης ον ηγαπα ο Ιησους") in John 20:2. The term the Beloved Disciple ("ον εφιλει ο Ιησους") is used five times in the Gospel of John to indicate authorship.^[13] John 21:24 claims that the Gospel of John is based on the written testimony of the "Beloved Disciple".

Extrabiblical traditions [link]

Byzantine illumination depicting John dictating to his disciple, Prochorus (c. 1100).

Roman Catholic tradition states that after the Assumption, John went to Ephesus and from there wrote the three epistles traditionally attributed to him. John was allegedly banished by the Roman authorities to the Greek island of Patmos, where some believe that he wrote the Book of Revelation. According to Tertullian (in The Prescription of Heretics) John was banished (presumably to Patmos) after being plunged into boiling oil in Rome and suffering nothing from it. It is said that all in the entire Colosseum audience were converted to Christianity upon witnessing this miracle. This event would have occurred during the reign of Domitian, a Roman emperor who was known for his persecution of Christians in the late 1st century.

When John was aged, he trained Polycarp who later became Bishop of Smyrna. This was important because Polycarp was able to carry John's message to future generations. Polycarp taught Irenaeus, and passed on to him stories about John. In Against Heresies, Irenaeus relates how Polycarp told a story of

It is traditionally believed that John survived his contemporary apostles and lived to an extreme old age, dying naturally at Ephesus in about AD 100.^[15] John's traditional tomb is thought to be located at Selçuk, a small town in the vicinity of Ephesus.

In art, John as the presumed author of the Gospel is often depicted with an eagle, which symbolizes the height he rose to in the first chapter of his gospel. In Orthodox icons, he is often depicted looking up into heaven and dictating his Gospel (or the Book of Revelation) to his disciple, traditionally named Prochorus.

The Acts of John Tradition[link]

Fresco of St. John the Evangelist adorning the dome of St. Peter's Basilica

Before Jesus ascended, he charged John with watching over the newly established Church and he was a pillar at the Church of Jerusalem. He wanted John to take care of Mary His mother because he knew that some of the family would perish. Jesus told his disciples how they would meet their end with the exception of John and this irked Peter. So Jesus left John the Beloved who was his cousin to take care of her. He also left his closest friend Mary Magdalene with him to care for and she would care for John. He promised that one day she would be His betrothed on the great wedding day in heaven representing his Church. Mary Magdalene has always been a figurehead of the Church for it was Jesus who casted out seven demons out of her. Mary Magdalene represented the establishment of the seven churches in Asia Minor. Also she was known as the disciple of the disciples.

It was after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost where they were gathered in one place. That John spent much of his time in Judea preaching the gospel there and in the surrounding lands, he accompanied Peter through the temple one day and they healed a lame beggar. The people in the temple were amazed and Peter testified to them and then again to the Jewish Council. And they were later freed. In that day, Herod the king committed violence against some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John the Beloved with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. He was later freed by an angel of God.

In 54 AD, Mary the mother of Jesus died and was buried, it was said that when they opened the tomb her body was gone. Therefore her body was taken away least it become an idol. John and Mary Magdalene went north and visited the churches that were established along the way. They travel as far as Asia Minor and settle in Ephesus. One night, while they slept a thief broke into their home and John confronted him and converted him to the faith and told him turn from doing evil. The thief’s name was Cleophus whose name means "vision of glory". This story was shared among the Church and it became used as another example to describe the second coming of Christ as “thief in the night”.

John, one day, was going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, he then rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, "Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the Truth, is within.” He wrote three epistles while living in Ephesus, and he also completed the Gospel of John during this period. John was taken away in the persecution of the Roman emperors in Ephesus, leaving Mary Magdalene in the care of Cleophus. Mary Magdalene lived out her days and disappeared from the pages of history.

During the reign of Roman emperor Domitian after having spent time imprisoned in Rome, John was sentenced to be boiled in the Colosseum. So he was boiled in the oil but endured no harm or suffering. It is said that all in the entire Colosseum audience was converted to Christianity upon witnessing this miracle John was allegedly banished by the Roman authorities to the Greek island of Patmos, where some believe that he wrote the Book of Revelation. When John was aged, he trained Polycarp who later became Bishop of Smyrna. This was important because Polycarp was able to carry John's message to future generations. Polycarp taught Irenaeus, and passed on to him stories about John. He testified that somehow Lord God has kept him alive for so long for Himself and His service. He then proceeded to lie down at the spot he wanted to die and preached to them. Surrounded by his closest friends, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep and died of age 94 in 100 AD.^[16]

Liturgical commemoration [link]

The traditional tomb of St. John at Ephesus, Turkey.

He is venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion who commemorate him as "John, Apostle and Evangelist" on December 27.

The Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite commemorate the "Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian" on September 26. On May 8 they celebrate the "Feast of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian", on which date Christians used to draw forth from his grave fine ashes which were believed to be effective for healing the sick.

Until 1960, another feast day which appeared in the General Roman Calendar is that of "St John Before the Latin Gate" on May 6, celebrating a tradition recounted by Jerome that St John was brought to Rome during the reign of the Emperor Domitian, and was thrown in a vat of boiling oil, from which he was miraculously preserved unharmed. A church (San Giovanni a Porta Latina) dedicated to him was built near the Latin gate of Rome, the traditional scene of this event.^[17]

Other Christians highly revere him but do not canonize or venerate saints.

Islamic view[link]

The Qur'an also speaks of Jesus's disciples but does not mention their names, instead referring to them as "helpers to the work of God".^[18] Muslim exegesis and Qur'an commentary, however, names them and includes John among the disciples.^[19] An old tradition, which involves the legend of Habib the Carpenter, mentions that John was one of the three disciples sent to Antioch to preach to the people there.^[20]

Latter-day Saint view[link]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) teaches that John received the promise of immortality from Jesus Christ, as recorded in John 21:21–23, and that in 1829 he—along with the resurrected Peter and the resurrected James—visited Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and restored the priesthood authority with Apostolic succession to earth.^[21] John, along with the Three Nephites, will live to see the Second Coming of Christ as translated beings.^[22]

The LDS Church also teaches that John the Apostle is the same person as John the Evangelist, John of Patmos, and the Beloved Disciple.^[22]

See also [link]

• Basilica of St. John
• John the Evangelist
• Names of John
• St. John the Evangelist on Patmos
• Vision of St. John on Patmos, frescos by Antonio da Correggio

References [link]

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John the Evangelist

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article John, the Apostle.

• The Life and Miracles of St. John the Evangelist and Apostle
• Eastern Orthodox icon and Synaxarion of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist (May 8)
• John the Apostle on Find-A-Grave
• Catholic Encyclopedia: St. John the Evangelist
• John the Apostle in Art
• John in Art
• Repose of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian Orthodox icon and synaxarion for September 26

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The Apostle is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by Robert Duvall, who stars in the title role. John Beasley, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Bob Thornton, June Carter Cash, Miranda Richardson and Billy Joe Shaver also appear. It was filmed on location in and around Saint Martinville and Des Allemands, Louisiana with some establishing shots done in the Dallas, Texas area by a second unit before principal photography began.

The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.^[3] For his performance, Duvall was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Plot [link]

Sonny (Duvall) is a charismatic Pentecostal preacher with a wandering eye. As a result of his infidelity, his wife Jessie (Fawcett) has begun a relationship with a youth minister named Horace. She refuses Sonny's desire to be reconciled, although she assures him that she will not interfere with his right to see his children. She has also conspired to use their church's bylaws to have him removed from power. Sonny asks God what to do, but receives no answer. Much of the congregation sides with Jessie in this dispute. Sonny, however, refuses to start a new church, insisting that the one which forced him out was "his" church. At his child's Little League game, Sonny, in an emotional fit, attacks Horace with a bat and puts him into a coma. He later dies.

A fleeing Sonny ditches his car in a river and gets rid of all identifying information. After destroying all evidence of his past, Sonny rebaptizes himself and anoints himself as "The Apostle E. F." He leaves Texas and ends up in the bayous of Louisiana, where he convinces a retired minister named Blackwell (Beasley) to help him start a new church. He also begins a dating relationship with a local radio station's employee (Richardson).

With Sonny's energy and charisma, the church soon has a faithful and racially integrated flock. Sonny even succeeds in converting a racist construction worker (Thornton) who shows up at a church picnic intent on destruction. While at work in a fast-food restaurant, he sees his new girlfriend out in public with her husband and children, apparently reconciled. Sonny walks out, vowing never to return there.

Jessie hears a radio broadcast of the Apostle E. F. and calls the police on Sonny and they show up in the middle of an evening service but allow him to finish it while they wait outside. In the poignant finale, Sonny delivers an impassioned sermon before telling his flock that he has to go. In the final scene, Sonny, now part of a chain gang, preaches to the inmates as they work along the side of a highway.

Cast [link]

• Robert Duvall – Euliss 'Sonny' Dewey - The Apostle E.F.
• Farrah Fawcett – Jessie Dewey
• Billy Bob Thornton – Troublemaker
• Billy Joe Shaver – Joe
• June Carter Cash – Mrs. 'Momma' Dewey Sr.
• Miranda Richardson – Toosie
• Walton Goggins – Sam
• Todd Allen – Horace
• Lenore Banks – Female Sonny Supporter
• John Beasley – Brother C. Charles Blackwell
• Brett Brock – Helper

Production [link]

Duvall wrote the script in the 1980s but could not find a studio willing to film it. He eventually decided to direct and finance it himself. It was first screened at the Toronto Film Festival. Thirty minutes into the screening, studio executives began leaving the theater to wheel and deal outside; October Films gained the distribution rights that night. The film went on to have a $21.3 million worldwide theatrical gross, with a combined production and advertising budget of $8 million.^[1]

In counterpoint to its volatile subject matter, the film has a restrained visual style and employs a large number of non-professional actors to enhance its realism.

Soundtrack [link]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[4]

The score for The Apostle was scored by David Mansfield. Three songs, by country music artists Lyle Lovett and Patty Loveless and contemporary Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman, were recorded especially for the film.

The songs, "I Will Not Go Quietly" by Chapman, "Two Coats" by Loveless and "I'm a Soldier in the Army of the Lord" by Lovett were released on a soundtrack album that was supplemented with more exclusive songs "inspired by" (but not included in) the film. The additional tracks include works by Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris (in a duet with Robert Duvall), the Carter Family, the Gaither Vocal Band and the Sounds of Blackness.

Track listing [link]

1. "I Will Not Go Quietly" (composed and performed by Steven Curtis Chapman – 3:46
2. "Two Coats" (traditional, performed by Patty Loveless) – 3:21
3. "I'm a Soldier in the Army of the Lord" (traditional, performed by Lyle Lovett) – 3:29
4. "Softly and Tenderly" (composed by Will Lamartine Thompson, performed by Rebecca Lynn Howard) – 3:05
5. "There Is a River" (composed by David Sapp, performed by the Gaither Vocal Band) – 4:24
6. "In the Garden" (composed by C. Austin Miles, performed by Johnny Cash) – 3:16
7. "I Love to Tell the Story" (traditional, performed by Emmylou Harris and Robert Duvall) – 3:45
8. "Waitin' on the Far Side Banks of Jordan" (composed by Terry Smith, performed by the Carter Family) – 3:15
9. "Victory Is Mine" (traditional, performed by the Sounds of Blackness) – 3:32
10. "There Is Power in the Blood" (traditional, performed by Lari White) – 5:19
11. "There Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down" (composed by Brother Claude Ely,^{[5] [6]} performed by Russ Taff) – 4:54
12. "I'll Fly Away" (composed by Albert E. Brumley, performed by Gary Chapman and Wynonna Judd) – 3:47
13. "Softly and Tenderly (Reprise)" (composed by Will Lamartine Thompson, performed by Dino Kartsonakis) – 4:37

Chart performance [link]

References [link]

External links [link]

• The Apostle at the Internet Movie Database
• The Apostle at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Apostle at the Arts & Faith Top100 Spiritually Significant Films list
• New York Times Critics' Pick (A. O. Scott) link

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2011)

Ian Siegal playing in Szentendre, Hungary, in 2009

Ian Siegal (born Ian Berry, 1971) is a British blues singer and guitarist, whose style reflects the more rootsy side of the genre, drawing on influences such as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Son House, Junior Kimbrough and Tom Waits.

Biography[link]

In the late 1980s, Siegal dropped out of art college and went busking in Germany.^[1] He has been active on the UK blues scene for many years, and after two European tours supporting Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings in 2003 and 2004,^[1] began to receive significant attention in Europe and further afield,^[2] particularly since the release of his album, Swagger, the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Meat & Potatoes. These recordings also feature guitarist Matt Schofield, and received praise in the music press, including an entry in the Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings, and was Mojo magazine's second best blues album of 2007.^[2] In 2008 the album The Dust was released. Unlike the previous albums it contained mainly solo performances. In 2009, Siegal released another album together with his band members, Andy Graham (bass) and Nikolaj Bjerre (drums). This album, Broadside, was voted "Blues Album of the Year 2009" by Mojo.

His 2011 release, The Skinny, was recorded in North Mississippi with Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars as record producer and he also played on the album. Backing Siegal were the sons of some notable Mississippi blues men, including on guitar Robert Kimbrough, on guitar and bass Garry Burnside, and on drums Rod Bland. Also guesting were Alvin Youngblood Hart and Duwayne Burnside.

Discography[link]

• 2002 - Standing in the Morning
• 2005 - Meat & Potatoes
• 2007 - Swagger
• 2008 - The Dust
• 2009 - Broadside
• 2011 - The Skinny

Band[link]

• Ian Siegal - Vocals, guitar
• Andy Graham - Bass
• Nikolaj Bjerre - Drums

• Matt Schofield - Guitar
• Jonny Henderson - Organ

References[link]

External links[link]

• Siegal's Official Site
• Siegal's Official Dutch FanSite
• Nugene Records website
• Live Concert (Audio Stream)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ian Siegal

This article about a British musician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Natsume Sōseki
Natsume Sōseki in 1912
Born	(1867-02-09)9 February 1867 Tokyo, Japan
Died	9 December 1916(1916-12-09) (aged 49) Tokyo, Japan
Occupation	Writer
Genres	novels, short stories, poetry
Notable work(s)	Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat
Influenced virtually all subsequent Japanese novelists, Karatani Kōjin

Natsume Sōseki (夏目 漱石^?, February 9, 1867 – December 9, 1916), born Natsume Kinnosuke (夏目 金之助^?), is widely considered to be the foremost Japanese novelist of the Meiji period (1868–1912). He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, Chinese-style poetry, and fairy tales. From 1984 until 2004, his portrait appeared on the front of the Japanese 1000 yen note.

Early years[link]

Born as Natsume Kinnosuke in the town of Babashita in the Edo region of Ushigome (present Kikui, Shinjuku), Natsume began his life as an unwanted child, born to his mother late in her life, forty years old and his father then fifty-three.^[1] When he was born, he already had five siblings. Having five children and a toddler had created family insecurity and was in some ways a disgrace to the Natsume family.^[1] In 1868, a childless couple, Shiobara Masanosuke and his wife, adopted him until the age of nine, when the couple divorced.^[1] He returned to his family and was welcomed by his mother although regarded as a nuisance by his father. His mother died when he was fourteen, and his two eldest brothers died in 1887, intensifying his sense of insecurity.^{[citation needed]}

Natsume attended the First Tokyo Middle School (now Hibiya High School),^[2] where he became enamored with Chinese literature, and fancied that he might someday become a writer. His desire to become an author arose when he was about fifteen when he told his older brother about his interest in literature.^[1] However, his family disapproved strongly of this course of action, and when Natsume entered the Tokyo Imperial University in September 1884, it was with the intention of becoming an architect. Although he preferred Chinese classics, he began studying English at that time, feeling that it might prove useful to him in his future career, as English was a necessity in Japanese college.^[1]

In 1887, Natsume met Masaoka Shiki, a friend who would give him encouragement on the path to becoming a writer, which would ultimately be his career. Shiki tutored him in the art of composing haiku. From this point on, he began signing his poems with the name Sōseki, which is a Chinese idiom meaning "stubborn". In 1890, he entered the English Literature department, and quickly mastered the English language. Natsume graduated in 1893, and enrolled for some time as a graduate student and part-time teacher at the Tokyo Normal School.^{[citation needed]}

In 1895, Natsume began teaching at Matsuyama Middle School in Shikoku, which became the setting of his novel Botchan. Along with fulfilling his teaching duties, Natsume published haiku and Chinese poetry in a number of newspapers and periodicals. He resigned his post in 1896, and began teaching at the Fifth High School in Kumamoto. On June 10 of that year, he married Nakane Kyoko.^{[citation needed]}

Natsume Sōseki's lodgings in Clapham, South London

In the United Kingdom, 1901–1903[link]

In 1900, the Japanese government sent Natsume to study in Great Britain as "Japan's first Japanese English literary scholar".^[3] He visited Cambridge and stayed a night there, but gave up the idea of studying at the university because he could not afford it on his government scholarship.^[4] He studied instead at University College, London (UCL). He had a miserable time of it in London, spending most of his days indoors buried in books, and his friends feared that he might be losing his mind.^[5] He also visited Pitlochry in Scotland.

He lived in four different lodgings, only the last of which, lodging with Priscilla and her sister Elizabeth Leale in Clapham (see the photograph), proved satisfactory. Five years later, in his preface to Bungakuron (The Criticism of Literature), he wrote about the period:

The two years I spent in London were the most unpleasant years in my life. Among English gentlemen I lived in misery, like a poor dog that had strayed among a pack of wolves.^[6]

He got along well with the one Leale sister, who shared his love of literature (notably Shakespeare—his tutor at UCL was the Shakespeare scholar W. J. Craig^[7]—and Milton) and spoke fluent French, much to his admiration. The Leales were a Channel Island family, and Priscilla had been born in France. The sisters worried about Natsume's incipient paranoia and successfully urged him to get out more and take up cycling.

Despite his poverty, loneliness, and mental problems, he solidified his knowledge of English literature during this period and returned to Japan in 1903.

After his return to the Empire of Japan, he replaced Koizumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn) at the First Higher School, and subsequently became a professor of English literature at Tokyo Imperial University, where he taught literary theory and literary criticism.^{[citation needed]}

Literary career[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2009)

Natsume's literary career began in 1903, when he began to contribute haiku, renku (haiku-style linked verse), haitaishi (linked verse on a set theme) and literary sketches to literary magazines, such as the prominent Hototogisu, edited by his former mentor Masaoka Shiki, and later by Takahama Kyoshi. However, it was the public success of his satirical novel I Am a Cat in 1905 that won him wide public admiration as well as critical acclaim.^[8]

He followed on this success with short stories, such as Rondon tō ("Tower of London") in 1905 and the novels Botchan ("Little Master"), and Kusamakura ("Grass Pillow") in 1906, which established his reputation, and which enabled him to leave his post at the university for a position with Asahi Shimbun in 1907, and to begin writing full-time. Much of his work deals with the relation between Japanese culture and Western culture. Especially his early works are influenced by his studies in London; his novel Kairo-kō was the earliest and only major prose treatment of the Arthurian legend in Japanese.^[9] He began writing one novel a year until his death from a stomach ulcer in 1916.

Obverse of a 1984 series 1000 Japanese yen banknote

Major themes in Natsume's works include ordinary people fighting against economic hardship, the conflict between duty and desire (a traditional Japanese theme; see giri), loyalty and group mentality versus freedom and individuality, personal isolation and estrangement, the rapid industrialization of Japan and its social consequences, contempt of Japan's aping of Western culture, and a pessimistic view of human nature. Natsume took a strong interest in the writers of the Shirakaba (White Birch) literary group. In his final years, authors such as Akutagawa Ryūnosuke and Kume Masao became close followers of his literary style.^{[citation needed]}

Major works[link]

Natsume's major works include:

See also[link]

• Anglo-Japanese relations
• Japanese literature
• List of Japanese authors
• Fusanosuke Natsume – Natsume's grandson
• Minae Mizumura – finished Natsume's last, unfinished novel, Light and Darkness

Sources[link]

• Bargen, Doris D. Suicidal Honor: General Nogi and the Writings of Mori Ogai and Natsume Sōseki. University of Hawaii Press (2006). ISBN 0-8248-2998-0
• Brodey, I. S. and S. I. Tsunematsu, Rediscovering Natsume Sōseki, (Kent: Global Oriental, 2000)
• Doi, Takeo, trans. by W. J. Tyler, The Psychological World of Natsume Sōseki. Harvard University Asia Center (1976). ISBN 0-674-72116-0
• Gessel, Van C. Three Modern Novelists: Soseki, Tanizaki, Kawabata. Kodansha International, 1993
• Keene, Donald. Dawn to the West: Japanese Literature of the Modern Era: Fiction, Chapter 12. 2nd Revised Edition, Columbia University Press, 1998.
• Milward, Peter. The Heart of Natsume Sōseki: First Impressions of His Novels. Azuma Shobo (1981). ASIN: B000IK2690
• Olson, Lawrence. Ambivalent Moderns: Portraits of Japanese Cultural Identity. Savage, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield (1992). ISBN 0-8476-7739-7
• Ridgeway, William N. A Critical Study of The Novels of Natsume Sōseki, 1867–1916. Edwin Mellen Press (January 28, 2005). ISBN 0-7734-6230-9
• Yu, Beongchoeon. Natsume Sōseki. Macmillan Publishing Company (1984). ISBN 0-8057-2850-3

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Natsume Sōseki

	Novels portal
	Japan portal

• natsumesoseki.com
• Natsume Sōseki at かまくら GreenNet, the website of Kamakura City
• Natsume Souseki at Meisaku Live
• Video: House of Ogai Mori & Soseki Natsume
• Natsume Souseki at Amazon Kindle Store
• Works by Natsume Sōseki at Project Gutenberg
• Sōseki page including links to the entire text of Kokoro
• Natsume Sōseki on aozora.gr.jp (complete texts with furigana)
• Tohoku University: Natsume Soseki Library
• Natsume Sōseki's grave

John Reed
Reed in 2007
Born	(1969-02-07)February 7, 1969 TriBeCa, New York City
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Columbia University
Occupation	novelist
Website
http://www.johnreed.org

John Reed (born February 7, 1969) is an American novelist. He is the author of four novels: A Still Small Voice (2000), Snowball's Chance (2002) with a preface by Alexander Cockburn, The Whole (2005), and All the World's a Grave: A New Play by William Shakespeare (2008). His fifth book, Tales of Woe (2010), is a collection of twenty-five stories, chronicling true stories of abject misery.

Biography[link]

Born in 1969 in New York City, Reed is the son of artist David Reed and Judy Rifka.^[1] He attended Hampshire College, and received a Masters in Fine Art in Creative Writing from Columbia University.^[2] He teaches at The New School.

Reed was an early contributor to, and subsequently an editor with, Open City, a New York literary journal published by Robert Bingham, who later founded the book series.

Works[link]

He is affiliated with the New York Press and The Brooklyn Rail. "Americans are extremely sophisticated in terms of narrative forms," said Reed in an interview. "We see it in commercials, we see it on TV, we see it in movies. But the narrative forms we're talking about are three acts, five acts, depending on how you want to look at it. They're all based on a Christian model of sin, suffering, redemption; which is not a large model."^[3]

A Still Small Voice[link]

A Still Small Voice (Delacorte 2000, Delta 2001), Reed’s first novel, is a historical novel based on the life of a girl growing up in Kentucky from 1850-1870.

Snowball's Chance[link]

Snowball's Chance (Roof Books 2002/2003), Reed’s second novel was a controversial send-up of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, and ended in a cataclysmic attack on the “Twin Mills” (reminiscent of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center). It became a bestseller in the field of books by independent literary publishers.^[4]

The Whole, or, Duh Whole[link]

Wikinews has related news: John Reed on Orwell, God, self-destruction and the future of writing

John Reed discusses politics after 9/11 and Reed's take on Orwell's neoconservativism.

Reed between BOMB magazine's senior editor Monica de la Torre and editor-in-chief Betsy Sussler.

The Whole, Reed’s third novel, parodied MTV and was released in 2005 by MTV Books (Simon & Schuster). The novel described a gigantic hole that appears in the middle of the country, which engulfs four states.

All the World's a Grave[link]

Reed, in a new work, returns to the overhaul of canonical English writers in All the World's a Grave, fall 2008, Penguin Books. The work, subtitled "A New Play by William Shakespeare", is a tragedy in five acts, a "mash-up" constructed of lines drawn from five Shakespeare tragedies and one Shakespeare history; Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo & Juliet and Henry V. In the "literary trick" (as described by Page Six of The New York Post) Shakespeare's lines are rearranged into a wholly new story, in which Prince Hamlet of Denmark goes to war to claim his bride and the daughter of King Lear, Juliet. Upon a triumphant return home, Hamlet discovers that his mother has murdered his father, and married Macbeth. Visited by his father's ghost, and goaded by the opportunistic Lieutenant Iago, Hamlet is driven mad by the erroneous belief that Juliet is having an affair with General Romeo.^[5]

References[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: John Reed (novelist)

External links[link]

• John Reed's website
• All the World's a Grave, book website.
• Kill the beavers!, The Daily Telegraph, November 22, 2002.
• John Reed: Saint George and the Damn Truth, Moby Lives, Nove,ber 10, 2003.
• John Reed: The Whole, an excerpt, Brooklyn Rail, January 2005.
• Dinitia Smith: A Pig Returns to the Farm, Thumbing His Snout at Orwell, The New York Times, November 25, 2002.
• Cathy Young: Blaming the Victim, Reason.com, December 3, 2002.
• Andrea Scrima: Review of Tales of Woe, Rumpus, November 16, 2010.
• Interview with Arthur Phillips on rewriting Shakespeare