Biography
Daniel Bargon is a Champaign-Urbana native. Growing up in a multicultural community as well as a multilingual family spurred his interest in linguistics, which blossomed into an appreciation for Japanese language and literature. Upon returning from a study abroad experience in Kobe, Japan, Daniel changed his trajectory from a software development background to dedicate his time to the study of premodern Japanese literature.
Research Interests
- Gesaku (Edo period popular comic fiction)
- Kusazōshi (woodblock printed illustrated fiction)
- Authors and literary activity in the transitional period of the Bakumatsu and early Meiji period
- Anti bunmei-kaika authors and literature
- Adaptation and textual lineages
Research Description
My research seeks to unravel and explain the literary landscape during the bakumatsu and early Meiji periods. In a time of extreme political and cultural turmoil, those authors who made a living through popular comic fiction adapted to change in a variety of ways. Some authors followed the flow of popular trends, while others challenged them. My goal is to shed light on less canonical works of literature and the state of the publishing industry during this tumultuous period which better demonstrate the sheer richness of discourse within the public sphere.
Education
BSLAS, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2024
Awards and Honors
Blakemore Freeman Fellowship 2025-2026
EALC Spring Fellowship 2025
Medieval Studies Graduate Scholarship 2024
Illinois Distinguished Fellowship in the Humanities and Arts 2024-2026
Highest Distinction in East Asian Languages and Cultures 2024
Masuda Scholarship 2022