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Ep. 125 – Why aren’t there any black characters in Ulysses? (w/ Ryan Kerr)
Ryan Kerr joins the Blooms & Barnacles podcast to discuss the racial politics of Ulysses. Topics include the minstrel show performer Eugene Stratton, the absence of black characters in Ulysses, and the depiction of anti-black racism within the novel. Support us on Patreon to access episodes early, bonus content, and a video version of our…
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Ep. 124 – RHYMES AND REASONS
Clamn dever. Topics in this episode include Dublin journalism minutiae, pallindromes, Lenehan’s spoonerisms, the sad history behind the real-life inspiration for Professor MacHugh, the return of Stephen Dedalus’ extremely erudite daydreams, Stephen punches up Douglas Hyde’s poem, poetic meter and foot, rhyme and rhythm, the nightmare of history, Joyce’s love of Dante, Dante’s Divine Comedy,…
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Ep. 123 – THE GREAT GALLAHER
What opera is like a railway line? Topics in this episode include MacHugh’s love of Greek, kyrie eleison, Lenehan’s riddle and limerick, the legendary Ignatius Gallaher, the real-life Gallaher, the Phoenix Park murders and the Invincibles, what Crawford gets wrong about the Invincibles, Gumley and Skin-the-Goat, Gallaher’s great scoop in the New York World, the…
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Is Blazes Boylan really the worst man in Dublin?
—Ay, now I remember, Nosey Flynn said, putting his hand in his pocket to scratch his groin. Who is this was telling me? Isn’t Blazes Boylan mixed up in it? Author’s note: If you’re interested in further exploring the psyche of Blazes Boylan, I recommend checking out Margot Norris’ excellent article, Don’t Call Him “Blazes”:…
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Ep. 122- A Hungarian it was one day…
Did Leopold Bloom really give Arthur Griffith the idea for Sinn Fein? Topics in this episode include Stephen delivering Mr. Deasy’s letter, Stephen’s vampire poem, Crawford dunks on Mr. Deasy, a cure for foot and mouth disease, the assassination attempt against Emperor Franz Josef, Maximilian Karl O’Donnell, graf von Tirconnell’s heroic defense of the Emperor,…
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Leopold Bloom’s Gorgonzola
“He entered Davy Byrne’s. Moral pub. He doesn’t chat. Stands a drink now and then. But in leapyear once in four. Cashed a cheque for me once.” Following a long, restless journey across Dublin’s city centre in “Lestrygonians”, Ulysses’ eighth episode, Leopold Bloom finally sits down to his lunch. After a close encounter in the…
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Ep. 121 – Tales From the Tower Live (w/ Vivien Veale Igoe, Robert Nicholson, & Breandan O’Broin)
Kelly talks with former James Joyce Tower & Museum curators Vivien Veale Igoe and Robert Nicholson, and editor Breandan O’Broin about their experience curating the tower, how Dublin’s relationship with Joyce has changed over the years, and their new book, Tales from the Tower. Tales from the Tower will be available to purchase November 1,…
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Rawhead and Bloody Bones in the Burton
“Although Joyce’s parallel reduces Homer’s ‘murderous reception’ to the farce of teeth chomping, a similar violence does exist here, if only in the poverty that has produced this scene…” – Trevor L. Williams After passing through Grafton St. on the way to lunch in “Lestrygonians”, Ulysses’ eighth episode, Leopold Bloom must pass through one more…
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Ep. 120 – THE GRANDEUR THAT WAS ROME
How often does James Joyce think about the Roman Empire? Topics in this episode include Leopold Bloom bullied by children and adults, stealing upon larks, the Oval, The Rose of Castille, Lenehan’s riddle unfulfilled, the Roman Empire as an analogue to the British Empire, puns, cloacae, the origin of the phrase “cloacal obsession,” H.G. Wells’…
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Ep. 119 – MEMORABLE BATTLES RECALLED
“… it would be a shrewd dialectician indeed who would make much sense out of the editor’s crowings about North Cork militia with Spanish officers in Ohio.” – Robert M. Adams Topics in this episode include the North Cork Militia, the Battle of Oulart, Ned Lambert’s superior improv skills, Bloom’s professionalism, Myles Crawford as a…