This year is the 100th anniversary of Bloomsday. So … as June 16th, 2004 approaches, get ready for the Joyce mania.
James Joyce made his entire book take place on that specific day as a tribute to Nora, his wife. Ulysses was published in 1922, but in 1904, on June 16, he had his first “date” with Nora, the wild Galway girl who would become his wife. “Date”, of course, just meant that they walked together around Dublin. But Joyce said, of that day, “She made a man of me.” We can only guess at what happened that day, but it was important enough to Joyce that he made his entire masterpiece take place on that day, as a tribute to the woman who “made a man” out of him.
And since then, Bloomsday has been celebrated in various ways. People travel to Dublin, and wander through the streets, following the course of the book. Etc.
And this year is the 100th anniversary. So it should be a good one!!
june 16th is my birthday. I hope this story has a happy ending…lol
And here I am playing the delightfully bouyant Whoremistress in Ulysses. My accent is getting better Sheila, but I still can’t say “girls” without sounding like Mary Poppins.
Tony –
The last word of Ulysses is “yes”. Despite the darkness in much of the book, Joyce was adamant that the book end on “the most positive word in the English language.”
Pretty cool, huh? And yes yes yes – a happy ending.
Alex should try pronouncing ‘girls’ the way Maggie Smith did in Jean Brodie. A benevolent growl–extending and caressing the rrrrrs.