James Joyce in 1915. Photo by Alex Ehrenzweig.
Today is "Bloomsday," a.k.a. Lá Bloom, the day in 1904 that Leopold Bloom made his epic peregrinations around Dublin in James Joyce's Ulysses. There are celebrations all over the English-speaking world. (Or should I say, the English-reading world. Or perhaps I should say the Irish-reading world!)
It's a special Bloomsday, too, in that the book finally goes out of copyright across the European Union, freeing celebrants from the widely hated Stephen Joyce, James's grandson, who, as The Atlantic says, "has gained a reputation as the most controlling literary executor in history."
In the rabidly pro-corporate U.S.A., where "our journey towards a corporate vision of perpetual knowledge assets exploited for profit seems unstoppable" (The Atlantic again), the status is somewhat murkier. Scholars and fans here may not have heard the last of the stingy Stephen yet.
But for the day, rejoyce! (As Craigy Fergs is wont to say, ya see what I did there.)
Mike
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Original contents copyright 2012 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.
Featured Comment by Richard Tugwell: "I noticed the provenance of the photo, which prompts me to blether on a bit. There is a large Joyce 'presence' in Zurich, where I live, and where Joyce died and is buried. He lived here on three occasions in his early, struggling years, and the areas and properties where he lived haven't altered very much. I frequent the same streets and cafes on a daily basis. It was on a short visit here to treat his eyesight—after success had come his way—that he contracted the illness which killed him. He has a rather nice resting place in Fluentern Cemetery on the Zuriberg, high above the city. Despite the iconic Irish-ness of his work, he has always appeared to me to be much more a European. Fluent in many European languages, and a self-exile from his country of birth.
"I see the photographer's address is just a few steps away from one of the (many) places Joyce lived during the war period. I'll go and have a look and see if there are any traces."
I take heart in the fact that such a majority of great artists were/are so ordinary looking.
Moose
Posted by: Moose | Saturday, 16 June 2012 at 06:48 PM
As a person who was unintentionally named after the fecund sexton of the book, Happy Bloomsday to all.
On the theme of twisted literary executors, we will have Paul Zukofsky long after Stephen Joyce, unfortunately.
Posted by: Softie | Saturday, 16 June 2012 at 08:26 PM
The name of one of my favorite authors' (Anthony Burgess) studies of one of my favorite authors (James Joyce) is "Re Joyce."
Posted by: Adam Isler | Saturday, 16 June 2012 at 09:18 PM
In economics, rent-seeking is an attempt to obtain economic rent by manipulating the social or political environment in which economic activities occur, rather than by creating new wealth ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_seeking
In this case, rent found.
Posted by: Speed | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 12:49 AM
Ah yes, but Stephen Joyce is no Dmitri Nabokov.
Posted by: James Liu | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 01:13 AM
Your post makes me feel not quite so alone in having had my traditional Bloomsday breakfast of the grilled kidneys of lambs - albeit NOT urine-scented.
Remembering Trieste's favourite son.
Walter
Posted by: Walter Glover | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 01:14 AM
Mike, I just used your amazon.de link to buy the Kindle version of Ulysses. It was €0,00 however.
Posted by: Carsten S | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 05:56 AM
Seems like it has been on Gutenberg for a while.
Posted by: Chris Crowe | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 05:57 AM
Hi Mike, I don't know if you were aware but BBC Radio 4 in the UK (that's sort of intellectual radio, for anyone who doesn't know it) did a whole day yesterday where they read the entire book, at the times specified, you could probably catch the podcasts if you like, I heard about three episodes yesterday whilst driving around, and not having encountered Ulysses I really enjoyed what I heard. An interesting listen for anyone who has read the book (or anyone who doesn't read so much)
Posted by: Shotslot | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 06:43 AM
"Mike, I just used your amazon.de link to buy the Kindle version of Ulysses. It was €0,00 however."
Yeah but I get a percentage of that.
--Mike the Internet Tycoon
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 07:43 AM
For some reason, that photo brought Tom Stoppard's "Travesties" to mind.
Posted by: Archer Sully | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 09:46 AM
You should post Berenice Abbott's great portrait of Joyce, as well. Nice to see this unfamiliar (to me) one, though.
Posted by: Mark Sampson | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 10:39 AM
"Mike the Internet Tycoon"
You do realize that we may now be compelled to address you as MIT.
Well, finished my coffee, off to do some street shooting along the Sunset Strip. As Robbie Robertson said, "That sure brings back some ghosts".
Jeff
Posted by: Jeff markus | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 01:12 PM
You are doing it again. Now I know another word for my random walks and explorations.
Posted by: John Robison | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 02:45 PM
Ehrenzweig's portrait just reinforces my opinion that Berenice Abbott was a stud. I mean, I know, everybody has seen the picture so many times that they just think that's what Joyce looked like, but there's a reason for that.
James Joyce. The portrait.
Posted by: Andrew Burday | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 07:42 PM
Richard Tugwell notes: "It was on a short visit here to treat his eyesight—after success had come his way—that he contracted the illness which killed him."
Long ago I was part of the Joyce industry, and it was then thought that JJ left Paris for Zurich to escape the Nazi occupation, and that he died there of a perforated ulcer, probably the result of his lifelong alcoholism.
Posted by: Leslie Hancock | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 08:49 PM
Leslie Hancock - yes, that's true. I guess you don't contract a perforated ulcer.. (I blame the editor... ;-)
Posted by: Richard Tugwell | Sunday, 17 June 2012 at 11:18 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peptic_ulcer
Helicobacter Pylori can (in theory) be contracted but I doubt wether that changes anything......
Greetings, Ed
Posted by: Ed | Monday, 18 June 2012 at 01:22 AM
Yes Mike,15$ in amazon and free in youtube.
Posted by: hugo solo | Monday, 18 June 2012 at 03:34 AM