I have a friend who continually insists that various historical figures were pedophiles. She’s made the accusations against such diverse individuals as Richard the Lion-Hearted, William Wallace, Julius Caesar, and James Barrie, the author of Peter Pan. I find the accusation against such a beloved figure as Barrie particularly objectionable. I put it to you, o Great Dispenser of Wisdom: Was James Barrie a buggerer? –Pufnstuff, via e-mail
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One might have phrased this a bit more delicately, Puf. Then again, what’s the point? With the release of Finding Neverland, a film about the story behind Peter Pan starring Johnny Depp as Barrie, it’s certainly the first question a lot of people will ask. So here’s the answer: I don’t think so. Of course, that’s what I said about another guy with an unusual interest in kids, Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll), right before those pictures of naked little girls showed up. However, I deal in the world of what’s known.
The marriage was not happy. Barrie was later rumored to be impotent, but it seems more accurate to say he had little interest in sex. At any rate he never succeeded in getting Mary pregnant, though she was anxious for a child.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): illustration/Slug Signorino.
