literature
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Ulysses CCD: St. Ursula
—I pinched it out of the skivvy’s room, Buck Mulligan said. It does her all right. The aunt always keeps plainlooking servants for Malachi. Lead him not into temptation. And her name is Ursula. Part of an occasional series on Catholicism in Ulysses. Stephen Dedalus and Buck Mulligan discuss, as Stephen puts it, a symbol…
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Ep. 8 – Heresiarchs
Kelly and Dermot get deep talking about arch heresies, the Council of Nicaea, alchemy, Buck Mulligan’s blasphemy, James Joyce’s love of sacred music, and what the Council of Trent had in common with the classic film Footloose. On the Blog: Decoding Dedalus: Heresies in “Telemachus” Social Media: Facebook|Twitter Subscribe to Blooms and Barnacles: iTunes| Google…
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Agenbite of Inwit
—He can’t wear them, Buck Mulligan told his face in the mirror. Etiquette is etiquette. He kills his mother but he can’t wear grey trousers. To listen to a discussion of this topic, check out the podcast episode here. The text of Ulysses is populated by certain repeated phrases that shine light on the inner…
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Decoding Dedalus: Glorious, Pious and Immortal Memory
This is a post in a series called Decoding Dedalus where I take a paragraph of Ulysses and break it down line by line. The passage below comes from “Nestor,” the second episode of Ulysses. It appears on page 31 in my copy (1990 Vintage International). Glorious, pious and immortal memory. The lodge of Diamond……
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Ep. 7 – In Defense of Dorkiness
Kelly and Dermot discuss Stephen’s tower-mate, the Englishman Haines. Haines was based on a real-life roommate of James Joyce’s – Dermot Chenevix Trench. Did Joyce’s personal dislike of Trench color his characterization in the novel? What’s up with that black panther mentioned in ‘Telemachus?’ Why does Dermot (our host) have bad memories of learning Irish…
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Deasy of West Britain
Horn of a bull, hoof of a horse, smile of a Saxon. To listen to a discussion of this topic, check out the podcast episode here. For all posts on Mr. Deasy, click here. The conversation between Stephen and Mr. Deasy in “Nestor” rings familiar to anyone who’s ever had to sit across from, let’s…
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Ulysses CCD: St. Columbanus
His mother’s prostrate body the fiery Columbanus in holy zeal bestrode. Part of an occasional series on Catholicism in Ulysses. The line above appears on page 27 of ‘Nestor’ in the midst of Stephen’s musings on young Sargent, the student receiving the young Artist’s tutelage in algebra. It’s a random line in the midst of…
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Ep. 6 – Tea for the Tower-Men
Hell is breakfast with Buck Mulligan.Kelly and Dermot talk about the allegory of the old milk woman who visits Stephen and the boys in the Martello Tower. Topics covered include Hiberno-English, the importance of tea in Irish culture and who the hell Mother Grogan was. On the Blog: The Women of Ulysses: Mother Grogan and…
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Decoding Dedalus: Dark Men in Mien and Movement
This is a post in a series called Decoding Dedalus where I take a paragraph of Ulysses and break it down line by line. The passage below comes from “Nestor,” the second episode of Ulysses. It appears on page 28 in my copy (1990 Vintage International), beginning with “Across the page…” and ending with “…could…
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Poetry in Ulysses: Lycidas
—Tell us a story, sir.—O, do, sir. A ghoststory. For all posts on music and poetry in Ulysses, visit this page. Did you ever have a teacher in school who had a tenuous-at-best grip on their lessons? They were easily distracted or maybe a little too much of a hippie. Maybe they were a substitute…