This research examined the complex relationship between the mythos of cultural figures and the legacies of the written and spoken word. Ironically, Hauser’s entry into the public realm was marked by a distinct lack of language, whereas Whitman was known for stepping into the world of English letters with a groundbreaking approach to poetry. In pairing a man of many words with a boy of few, One of the Roughs traced a map between continents to address roles of language in personal and national identities, examining the ability of words to construct character in the public eye. Whitman and Hauser existed at the center of their own narratives while also at the fringes of the community of their time. As such, they acted as a unique mirror for the politics surrounding them.

To balance prior familiarity with areas of Brooklyn, New York where Whitman resided for some years, this project took Corff to sites in Germany pivotal to Hauser’s life story. Time was spent in Nürnberg where Hauser first appeared in society, Schloss Pilsach where he is believed to have been held captive as a child, and, finally, to the sites of his murder and burial in Ansbach. Seeing and experiencing these locations, even nearly 200 years later, supplemented the academic understanding of these two historical figures.

A list of works consulted can be found here.