ULYSSES pp. 109-115 “Hades”

By KATIE ELSE Finally! The last of Hades (except for my probablynotgoingtobethatfunmarization) The tweets: 109. LB still wondering about decaying bodies, the cemetery and the idea of burials. PD’s coffin is placed in the grave. 110. LB thinks about the idea of coffins, notices the mystery “man in the macintosh” is the 13th one there [...]

ULYSSES pp. 101-108 “Hades”

By KATIE ELSE First and foremost, eat my tweets!  101. men see Dignam’s family at cemetery. Coffin is carried. MC scolds JP about talk of suicide. JP didn’t know about LB’s father 102. Men discuss the Dignam family.LB ponders widowhood. Small talk with Ned Lambert. Discuss money collection for the family. 103. LB sees PD’s [...]

A Time for Heroes…

By JERRY GRIT To take a break from the unrelenting tour of death and loss in “Hades,” we will (Bloom-like) distract ourselves with an administrative matter. Simply, we need heroes. We need heroes to take on the remaining 7 chapters that have yet to be claimed in our history-making social media-enhanced reading of Ulysses.  You [...]

ULYSSES pp. 94-100 “Hades”

By KATIE ELSE As we continue down the road to Hell, let me share with you my tweets… 94. LB starts to tell joke about Dodd’s son almost drowning, MC steps all over it. finishes story. much laughter 95. men discuss sudden death of PD. LB thinks it’s best to go quickly. Other men seem [...]

ULYSSES pp.87-93 “Hades”

By KATIE ELSE Let me just begin by saying that I am enjoying being inside Leopold Bloom’s head far more than Stephen’s. I find him a much more sympathetic, empathetic and accessible character.  In the first pages of this chapter, the subtext and the… well, obvious text give us insight into these two men.  Let me [...]

ULYSSES Funmary #5: The Lotus Eaters

by SCOOTER THOMAS Scooter Thomas, aspiring toward dolce far niente. x My owners have asked me to write The Lotus Eaters Funmary for reasons which I find both flattering and deeply offensive. On one hand, they know that my astute critical analysis could enhance “The Lotus Eaters” chapter in illuminating and perhaps unexpected ways. I’ll [...]

ULYSSES pp. 82-86, “The Lotus Eaters”

by BEN and ERIN VORE Dirk Diggler and Leopold Bloom: Kindred spirits. The last page of today’s reading delivers the indelible image of Leopold’s unit (“the limp father of thousands, a languid floating flower”). Did anyone else recall the final scene from P.T. Anderson’s Boogie Nights? We almost expected Leopold to say, “I’m a star. [...]

ULYSSES pp. 76-81, “The Lotus Eaters”

by BEN and ERIN VORE You can imply a lot of dirty things with a flower. x We left off yesterday anticipating the illicit thrill of Martha Clifford’s love letter. But a Penthouse Letter it ain’t. First, the tweets: 76. LB disparages M’Coy: A homosexual? Leah is playing tonight, causes Bloom to reflect on dad’s [...]

ULYSSES pp. 71-75 “The Lotus Eaters”

by BEN and ERIN VORE Have you wondered why you feel tempted to yawn when you see someone else yawning? Scientists term this “contagious yawning,” and suggest it may have something to do with one’s capacity for empathy. Depending on how empathetic you feel toward Leopold Bloom, you may be doing a lot of yawning [...]

A “Lotus-Eaters” Preview And The Merits Of A Kinesthetic Learning Approach To Ulysses

by BEN and ERIN VORE We’ve got our work cut out for us. After Lizaanne very capably and efficiently funmarized “Calyspo,” the bar has been set quite high for “The Lotus-Eaters.” We will begin tag-twreading it tomorrow with posts to follow. In preparation for our assignment, and to immerse ourselves in all things Joyce, one [...]

ULYSSES Funmary #4: Calypso

By LIZAANNE All right, Folks, it’s time for another funmary!  Let’s hear it for Calypso! The Calypso section serves as an introduction to Leopold Bloom, his family, his personal issues, and his role in the novel.  In this chaper, Leo is the active character.  He’s the Energizer Bunny as he makes breakfast for himself, his wife, and the cat; [...]

ULYSSES pp.66-70, “Calypso”

By LIZAANNE Welcome back.  Now that your tummies are full, settle into your seats for the final leg of our tour through “Calypso.”  If you look out the windows to your right, you will see tweets: 66-Milly’s letter:dad’s girl having 1st adventure; LB thinks of her birth & little boy who died @ birth; LB=fond but not overprotective [...]

ULYSSES pp. 60-65, “Calypso”

By LIZAANNE Now that we’ve all had a chance to refuel (with our beverage of choice), time to get back on track with the next few pages of Calypso.  While the rest of the passengers are boarding, let’s take a few moments to review my tweets covering this section.  Pay careful attention, please, because Joyce [...]

ULYSSES pp. 55-59, “Calypso”

By LIZAANNE Hi, folks!  Welcome aboard ”The Odyssey” section of the novel–please have your tickets ready to be stamped.  Thank you. This fourth section [Calypso] introduces us to the man who will be our second central character of this novel, namely Leopold Bloom.   Our narrator has backed the timeline up to the morning again, so that we [...]