"O, rocks! she said. Tell us in plain words."

Today was Bloomsday!

The title of this post comes from the “Calypso” episode of Ulysses. Molly doesn’t know the word “metempsychosis,” so she asks Bloom what it means. He responds:

--Metempsychosis, he said, frowning. It's Greek: from the Greek. That means the transmigration of souls.

--O, rocks! she said. Tell us in plain words.

Molly’s words are appropriate here, because today the people in this city expressed to me in plain words the deep passion they feel for their cultural and literary tradition through their celebration of Joyce’s Ulysses. As a literary event, Bloomsday stands alone—there is no other date in literary history which is celebrated to such a degree. It’s pretty remarkable to think that a whole city could come alive and people could come together around a series of events that never happened. But that’s the magic of Ulysses.

Joyce didn't arbitrarily choose June 16th as the date to immortalize an entire day in Dublin. June 16th was the day he Met Nora Barnacle, his wife and the love of his life. She must have made a pretty strong first impression. Ulysses, then, wasn't just some novel Joyce was working on-- it was his great labor of love, his gift to Nora and to the world. How romantic is that?

I began the day with breakfast at the James Joyce Centre. The meal opened with a speech delivered by David Norris, a man introduced as "Dublin's most exuberant Joycean." Norris is an Irish Senator, LGBT rights activist, former university lecturer, and avid Joyce scholar. It was amazing to see an important politician reciting a speech in rhyming couplets with great enthusiasm, sharing his love for Joyce's work.

After Norris spoke, actors performed short scenes from the first eleven or so chapters of the book. The text is remarkably performable. A particular standout was the scene between Molly and Bloom, where Bloom delivers the letter from Blazes Boylan. Bloom knows that later in the day Molly is going to have an affair with Boylan, but he doesn't say anything to her. The scene just oozed with lots of great Chekhovian subtext!

From 11-3, people gathered in this square to read aloud excerpts from the book, to sing songs mentioned in the book or in other Joyce works, and to dance. I got roped into reading an excerpt from Hades. I didn't realize there was a second page until about a minute before I was called up on stage. It was kind of awkward, but hey, it's Bloomsday!

On the way back I passed by Dublin Castle. I haven't gone in yet but it looks very pretty from the outside.

I also stopped by the Chester Beatty Library. They have a very nice collection of manuscripts- illuminated copies of the Koran, early copies of the Gospels written on papyrus in Greek, ancient Buddhist texts, etc.

I passed by the James Joyce Cafe, and a man and woman dressed as Bloom and Molly convinced me to have lunch there. I learned that Guinness in Ireland is AMAZING! I don't like it in the States- it's too bitter. But in Dublin it has a rich, creamy froth on top and a more full-bodied flavor. Delicious!

On my way out, I took a picture with the Blooms.

Later in the afternoon, I went on the Bloomsday walking tour. We passed by Belvedere College, where Joyce went to school. The setting of the college inspired much of Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

Our tour guide was very informative. Here we're on Eccles Street, the site of the Bloom House. The original house at 7 Eccles Street no longer exists, but this house is very similar to how it would have looked.

These women were on the tour and were appropriately dressed in their 1904 attire. Throughout the day, I also saw many men wearing bowler hats.

This statue of the Irish Nationalist William Smith O'Brien, located in O'Connell Street, had a little visitor.

On my way back to the hostel, I spotted this sign in a soap shop window. Inspired by the lemon soap that Bloom buys, I think it's a nice illustration of how so many parts of the city, big and small, come together to celebrate the wonder of Ulysses.