Mon, 16 June 2014
June 16th is Bloomsday, the only city-wide celebration of a day from a work of fiction! Bloomsday is a celebration of James Joyce's Ulysses, and it is the day that the events from the book took place in Dublin. In this special episode, Marie talks a bit about the book itself and delves into some of the stories and history behind the book. She speaks with 3 guests in Dublin who are all associated with Bloomsday, but also have 3 different perspectives on the day and Joyce's work. The first guests are Maite Lopez and James Moore from the creative collective, At it Again!, a group of actors and artists who have written a guide to Ulysses, have made a Bloomsday Survival Kit, and will be performing this year in the celebration. She also speaks with Mark Traynor, a scholar of Irish literature and the director of the James Joyce Centre in Dublin. And finally she chats with Wendy Conroy, one of the head volunteers at Sweny's Pharmacy, one of the main surviving Ulysses landmarks. Marie discovers not only what Bloomsday is about, but also about the relationship that everyday Dubliners have with Joyce. (photo of Maite Lopez from At it Again!)
Direct download: _The_Fidelio_Podcast_Ep._8_James_Joyces_Bloomsday.mp3
Category:Literature -- posted at: 6:58pm CEST
Comments[3]
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I really enjoyed listening to this, partly because I am a bit of a Joycean myself, and partly because I was in Dublin last year and went to all these places and even met some of these people. I attended a reading at Sweny's too. You asked the Sweny's woman about the role Joyce plays in the life of Dublin at large. What I found when I was there was that the place was haunted entirely by Joyce. Everyone I met in the street, once they found out that I was interested in Joyce, had something to say about him. Even if they've never read his works, they have thoughts and ideas about him. He seemed to be completely a part of the urban environment there. I have never visited a city so, as I said, haunted by one writer - one who didn't even do any of his writing in the city, unless you count his letters to Nora when he was there doing his movie theatre experiment and such.
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I cannot wait to try reading Ulysses! I have been inspired by Fidelio Podcast and by Marie and her 4 guests. I think it's fabulous Maite Lopez and James Moore have written a "Survival Guide" for Ulysses..one that sounds fun and intriguing for the Bloomsday tour. I really enjoyed the story of the door and knocker, as told by Mark Traynor. And before I listened to this Podcast, my husband opened the lovely lemon soap (As explained by Wendy Conroy) he ordered from "Sweny's Pharmacy"! Thanks for another Great Podcast, Marie! Oh..and I would hang onto that ring your Grandmother found.
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What a great podcast episode! When I learned that many Dubliners have not yet read Joyce, I felt that there is hope for me yet. I quickly went to my bookshelf and pulled down my 1961 edition of Ulysses, and fortified with a fresh six-pack of Guinness, I vowed to read the book all of the way to the end before the next Fidelio Podcast (or at worst before the next Bloomsday). But first I must go on-line and order some lemon soap.