Local author Steve Kemme’s The Outsider: The Life and Work of Lafcadio Hearn, the Man Who Introduced Voodoo, Creole Cooking and Japanese Ghosts to the World, methodically and mesmerizingly tells the amazing story of how Hearn’s gift for writing took him from the Greek island where he was born to Ireland, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Martinique and Japan. The book has plenty of excerpts from Hearn’s work. And be prepared, some of Hearn’s extremely vivid coverage of Cincinnati crimes and tragedies makes Hunter S. Thompson’s contemporary gonzo reporting look timid in comparison.