Who was—?

  • 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. 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…

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  • Ep. 118 – The Sham Squire

    —And here comes the sham squire himself! professor MacHugh said grandly. Topics in this episode include the last vestiges of Doughy Daw’s effulgence, the mysterious identity of Wetherup, Myles Crawford, the real men behind Myles Crawford, red the correpsondent color of “Aeolus”, the Egyptian god Thoth, Crawford’s birdlike qualities, the birds of augury, banter, Francis…

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  • Ep. 116 – ERIN, GREEN GEM OF THE SILVER SEA

    Inspired by your beauty…effulgent. Topics in this episode include lemon soap, Ned Lambert, Wilson Ruttledge, Hedges Eyre Chatterton, waiting for your rich uncle to die, Dan Dawson and “Our Lovely Land,” Aristotle’s Rhetoric, epideictic speeches, encomia for Helen, what Dan Dawson’s speech has in common with classical rhetorical treatises, making fun of subpar art, masturbatory…

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  • Who was the real Cashel Boyle O’Connor Fitzmaurice Tisdall Farrell?

    “Dubliners were proud of Endymion. They were proud that they tolerated Endymion, but also that he tolerated them. Most people watched him and remembered him with affection, and only a few were aware of the darker side to some of his mutterings.” – John Simpson This post is a part of an occasional series on…

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  • Ep. 93 – As Decent a Little Man as Ever Wore a Hat

    Shakespeare is in the eye of the beholder. Topics in this episode include the real-world inspiration for Paddy’s Dignam’s funeral, Matthew Kane, the funeral cortège to Glasnevin, attendees to Matthew Kane’s funeral, Martin Cunningham, Sisyphus, the short story “Grace,” the true story behind “Grace,” the Jesuits, Matthew Kane attending his own funeral, Matthew Kane’s appearance…

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  • Who Were the Real Men in Aeolus’ Newsroom?

    This post is a part of an occasional series on the real people behind the characters in Ulysses. Myles Crawford During a 1909 visit to Dublin, James Joyce made several visits to the office of the Evening Telegraph where he became acquainted with its then editor Patrick Meade, Lord of the Wind Bags. Meade was…

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  • Who Was the Real Reuben J. Dodd?

    “ I never liked Jimmy Joyce. He used to drink the altar wine.” – Reuben J. Dodd, Jr. This post is a part of an occasional series on the real people behind the characters in Ulysses. To listen to a discussion of this topic, check out the podcast episode here. The Dublin of Ulysses is…

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  • Who Was the Real Paddy Dignam?

    “—As decent a little man as ever wore a hat, Mr Dedalus said. He went very suddenly.” This post is a part of an occasional series on the real people behind the characters in Ulysses. You can listen to a podcast discussion of this topic here. Ulysses’ sixth episode, “Hades,” centers around the funeral of…

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  • Ep. 62 – Altman the Saltman (w/Vincent Altman O’Connor)

    In our last episode, we discussed people from James Joyce’s life who influenced the creation of Leopold Bloom. However, we left one question unanswered – why were none of these men from Dublin? Didn’t Joyce know any Jewish people in Dublin? Vincent Altman O’Connor’s research into this very question and the biography of his ancestors…

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