Buchan

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Mher

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Hi, friends. I have two questions.
1. What does the author refer to by mentioning "Buchan"? Google points out to James Buchan, a Scottish novelist and historian, but then why is it written in quotation marks? Here is the sentence: "Buchan" I burned. I read no "Night Thoughts" — no fustian about church-yards — no bugaboo tales — such as this."
2. Could it be inferred from the punctuation of the second sentence that the part between dashes is about "Night Thoughts"?
(http://poestories.com/read/premature)
 
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If you quote from a published source, then you should name the source. It can help respondents to know the context.

1. I suspect that it is John (rather than James) Buchan, whose book or books the author burned. That is why "Buchan" is in quotation marks: to indicate that it was the written material and not the individual who was burned.

2. Yes. The bit about "bugaboo tales" also refers to "Night Thoughts".
 
Grumpy said:
If you quote from a published source, then you should name the source. It can help respondents to know the context.

1. I suspect that it is John (rather than James) Buchan, whose book or books the author burned. That is why "Buchan" is in quotation marks: to indicate that it was the written material and not the individual who was burned.

2. Yes. The bit about "bugaboo tales" also refers to "Night Thoughts".
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Yes, you are right. I have named the source so many times that it always seems to me that I have already done it. :)
 
Tdol said:
I don't think it can be John Buchan, who was born after Poe died. However, it might be William Buchan, who wrote a famous medical book that would fit the context of getting rid of medical books:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Buchan_(physician)
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You are god damn right. John Buchan was born 26 years after Poe's death and, hence, could not be mentioned in the story. Thank you, Tdol, for your attentiveness.:-D
 
Mher said:
Yes, you are right. I have named the source so many times that it always seems to me that I have already done it. :)
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If I'd known it was by Poe, I would also have known it couldn't be John Buchan (he said in self-justification): hence the importance of naming sources (he said sulkily).
 
Grumpy said:
If I'd known it was by Poe, I would also have known it couldn't be John Buchan (he said in self-justification): hence the importance of naming sources (he said sulkily).
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Sorry, my friend. I take the blame on me. :)
 
Grumpy said:
If I'd known it was by Poe, I would also have known it couldn't be John Buchan (he said in self-justification): hence the importance of naming sources (he said sulkily).
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I was only able to namedrop William Buchan after asking my good friend Mr Google who might be in the frame for Buchan+medical. I guessed from earlier threads from Mher that it was Poe. :-D
 
And I did have to check John Buchan's date of birth, though I enjoyed reading one of his books last year.
 
Tdol said:
And I did have to check John Buchan's date of birth, though I enjoyed reading one of his books last year.
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Dear friends, could you tell how 'Buchan' is pronounced? Is it 'bukun'?
 
Mher said:
You are god damn right
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Why in the world would you use this phrase? It's very offensive to some peope to use it at all, and utterly unnatural in this context.
 
Barb_D said:
Why in the world would you use this phrase? It's very offensive to some people to use it at all, and utterly unnatural in this context.
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In fact, I thought I was paying a compliment for his attentiveness.:roll: Why are you raising this issue only now? :-?You could have written it in private.
 
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