Month: November 2016

Clever, Very: Derek Pyle

A drawing of James Joyce atop a red-orange background covered in text from Finnegans Wake. Joyce is facing the viewer and wearing headphones. His glasses are white. The left lens of his glasses depicts a ear receiving sound waves, and the right lens has a question mark on it in black

For this edition of “Clever, Very”, we spoke with Derek Pyle. Mr. Pyle heads the Waywords and Meansigns project, which seeks to recreate Finnegans Wake to music “in its whole wholume”, a task completed in two 2015 and 2016 editions. Waywords and Meansigns is in the process of taking submissions for a third and final…Continue Reading Clever, Very: Derek Pyle

Mapping Expatriate Project: Cataloging Modernist Paris

  • Publication date November 14, 2016
  • Categories: Blog
A black and white photo of an old storefront. The board above the storefront reads "Shakespeare and Company". Below this sign in the stoop in front of the door is a man with a hat and cane who is identified as James Joyce. Slightly in front of him to the right is a woman with short hair and a long dark overcoat, identified as Sylvia Beach.

Knowledge of a work’s historical context can be of great import in scholarly work. Knowing that an artist or writer had come in contact with particular thoughts and ideas can affect how a particular work was conceived. For example, knowing that Gertrude Stein regularly had tea with Pablo Picasso can lend some insight into how…Continue Reading Mapping Expatriate Project: Cataloging Modernist Paris

Diasporic Joyce: 2017 North American James Joyce Symposium

  • Publication date November 3, 2016
  • Categories: Blog
A minimalist portrait of James Joyce on a white background. The lines that outline his face, hair, and mouth are green, with maroon lettering reading 'Toronto' are places so that they mimic his eyes, nose, and ear. In the bottom-right corner there is the number 2017 in maroon.

As far as historical and cultural impact is concerned, it is difficult to overestimate the impact of the Irish Potato Famine (also called The Great Famine or The Great Hunger), which was caused by failure of potato crops between the years of 1845 and 1852. As the potato was (and is) a cornerstone in traditional…Continue Reading Diasporic Joyce: 2017 North American James Joyce Symposium