Enjoying James Joyce’s Ulysses, An After-hours Bloomsday Celebration

Special after-hours event to celebrate James Joyce’s Ulysses at Brooks Memorial Library

On June 16 people around the world celebrate the day in 1904 when Leopold and Molly Bloom, Stephen Dedalus and a host of other Dubliners from all walks of life experienced the full range of human events and emotions in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses, in a single turn around the sun. The public is invited to join in a special Bloomsday celebration after regular library hours:

June 16^th at 7 pm

• in the Main Reading Room of Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St, in Brattleboro.
• and via Zoom at:
  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88544347541?pwd=UFBRN0NXOFdobFNOWW1oaklnY3ZmUT09 Meeting ID: 885 4434 7541
  Passcode: BVuL22

Jon Mack will celebrate the novel by following the threads of the stories in this groundbreaking work through readings and explorations of excerpts from the extraordinary text.

“I’ve been fascinated with James Joyce’s Ulysses for many years, so I’m excited to be hosting a Bloomsday event at the library.  Joyce’s novel is a many splendored jewel that has astonished readers ever since it was first published 100 years ago, yet many readers find it all but incomprehensible.  The aim of my presentation is to made the work more approachable and understandable by providing some connective tissue with readings of selected excerpts from the novel”, says Mack.  “Joyce’s work is a celebration of the written word in all its complexity. Ultimately, it is a human tale, full of both comedy and drama of life. I’m excited to be giving the presentation in our public library for Bloomsday 2022.  Nowhere could be a more appropriate venue than a public library. James Joyce’s epic work emerged from being banned for being too literal, too real than the duly appointed censors of the US of that time would allow.”

After the readings, there will be recommendations on how to find the best resources to make your reading enjoyable and we will open up conversation to those participating in-person or online.

The program is free and open to the public. As Joyce writes in Ulysses, “Every life is in many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love, but always meeting ourselves.” Do drop by, you never know who might show up.

For more information, call 802.254.5290 ex. 1201 or visit www.brookslibraryvt.org.

Sketch of Leopold Bloom by James Joyce