Get Ready to Re-Joyce

I can’t believe it, but Bloomsday is a week from tomorrow! The entrance of Ulysses into the public domain in much of the world lends an especially festive air to the proceedings this year, while here at the Rosenbach we are celebrating our twentieth Bloomsday. Do you have your hat picked out? Do you know which Ulysses character you most resemble?

A few quick reminders. First of all, whether you are in Philadelphia, Paris, or Parana, you can find out about Bloomsday activities near you on our Bloomsday Central website. New listings have been coming in fast and furious, so take a look.

Second, while Bloomsday itself is June 16, here at the Rosenbach we’ll be celebrating all next week, starting with the Go Ulysses puppet show on Wednesday and  Bloomsday 101 at Fergie’s Pub on Thursday. Personally, I’m particularly intrigued by the puppet show–not only are puppets inherently wonderful, but I’d like to see how they condense Ulysses into 30 minutes.

Finally, I’d like to give a quick nod to our neighbors down the street at Plays & Players, who are performing Tom Stoppard’s Travesties from June 7-23. In addition to the play itself, which features heavy doses of Rosenbach favorites James Joyce and Oscar Wilde, they are doing a series of pre- and post-show talks about the play and its subjects, starting with one this evening by former Bloomsday coordinator and Ulysses reading course instructor Janine Utell. The other events are on 6/10, 6/15, and 6/17.

Now, to get everyone warmed up for the pub quiz portion of Bloomsday 101, I thought I’d throw out a little brain teaser of my own. In 1950, a Harvard archaeology professor named Phil Phillips went to Dublin to photograph places mentioned in Ulysses. Here are a few snapshots from his collection–how many do you recognize and where do they turn up in the novel?

 

Happy puzzling!