Blooms & Barnacles
152 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 20 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 34 ratingsA blog and podcast that discuss James Joyce's Ulysses from a non-academic point of view. Less snooty, more movie references.
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Episodes
Tatters
July 15, 2020 12:00 - 57 minutes - 39.1 MBKelly and Dermot talk dogs, specifically Tatters, the dog encountered by Stephen on the strand at Sandymount. Topics include Joyce's belief that the dog is the most protean creature, Tatters' many forms on the seashore, cocklepickers then and now, seamorse, heraldry, Stephen's many phobias, reincarnation, sea gods, the ninth wave, pards, the Buddha-nature of a dog, cameos by Nicolas Cage and Peter Falk, Tatters as a muse, Tatters as a Zen master, Stephen's struggle with duality, Stephen's cr...
Paradise of Pretenders
July 01, 2020 21:07 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MBSweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin landmark alive. Please subscribe! On the Blog: Decoding Dedalus: Pretenders Dogsbody Social Media: Facebook|Twitter Subscribe to Blooms & Barnacles: iTunes| Google Play Music| Stitcher Further Reading: Atura, A. & Dionne, L. Proteus - Modernism Lab. Retrieved from https://modernism.coursepress.yale.edu/proteus/ Delaney, F. (2012, Dec 18). Episode 132: Barking at Boccaccio. Re:Joyce. [Audio podcast]. Gifford, D., & Seidman, R. J. (19...
Bloomsday 2020 Supplement
June 22, 2020 12:00 - 8 minutes - 6.14 MBEnjoy a late submission for our Bloomsday episode! Check out the full episode here.
Bloomsday 2020
June 16, 2020 12:00 - 3 hours - 133 MBSweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin landmark alive. Please subscribe! Social Media: Facebook|Twitter Subscribe to Blooms & Barnacles: iTunes| Google Play Music| Stitcher Many thanks to our readers: Richard Feeney, "Telemachus," 7:10 Jane Davis, "Telemachus," 12:50 Andrew Basquille, "Nestor," 17:47 Steve Carey, "Calypso," 25:42 Bill Kennedy, "Calypso," 31:48 PJ Murphy, "The Lotus Eaters," 39:47 Shelby Haber, Krystal Bressmer Cam Edwards, and Vidu Morugama, "Hades," 44...
Galleys of the Lochlanns
June 03, 2020 12:00 - 52 minutes - 35.8 MBKelly and Dermot set sail for the time of Vikings and jerkiness dwarfs! They discuss the differences of similarly-shaped seafaring vessels, Lochlanns, Fr. Dineen's Irish dictionary, the intersection of Viking and Celtic cultures in Ireland, torcs, tomahawk, the horrors of 14th c. Dublin, famine, plague and slaughters, the story of the time a pod of cetaceans washed ashore in medieval Dublin, the story of the time the Liffey froze over and people grilled on top of it, Stephen as a changeling,...
Panthersahib and Pointer
May 20, 2020 12:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MB**Now accepting submissions for our Bloomsday 2020 episode. ** Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin landmark alive. Please subscribe! On the Blog: Dogsbody Form of Forms Social Media: Facebook|Twitter Subscribe to Blooms & Barnacles: iTunes| Google Play Music| Stitcher Further Reading: Budgen, F. (1972). James Joyce and the making of Ulysses, and other writings. London: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/Joyce...
Under the Walls of Clerkenwell
May 06, 2020 12:00 - 55 minutes - 38.2 MBDermot and Kelly take on some of the history behind the tale of Irish exile Kevin Egan. This episode's discussion covers the story of the 1867 Clerkenwell explosion, what that has to do with Kevin Egan, Egan's relationship to his wife and son, Dermot's relationship to Tayto crisps, Egan's memories of Kilkenny, the Berkeleyan quality of memory, more father-son angst, and a cautionary tale for young Stephen.
Under the Walls of Clerkenwell
May 06, 2020 12:00 - 55 minutes - 38.2 MBDermot and Kelly take on some of the history behind the tale of Irish exile Kevin Egan. This episode's discussion covers the story of the 1867 Clerkenwell explosion, what that has to do with Kevin Egan, Egan's relationship to his wife and son, Dermot's relationship to Tayto crisps, Egan's memories of Kilkenny, the Berkeleyan quality of memory, more father-son angst, and a cautionary tale for young Stephen. Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin landmark alive. Please subscribe! O...
Froggreen Wormwood
April 22, 2020 12:00 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBImages of early morning Paris through the ineluctable modality of Stephen Dedalus' memory, smells of incense and absinthe. We discuss Stephen's life as a starving artist (literally), Kevin Egan and his unwilling exile in Paris, Egan's real life counterpart, New York Times write-ups of duels in the 19th century, Irish nationalist groups of the 19th century, the proper way to drink absinthe, dalcassians and Arthur Griffith, Maud Gonne, Édouard Drumont v. Léo Taxil, and the pitfalls of attempti...
Boul' Mich'
April 08, 2020 12:00 - 56 minutes - 39.2 MBBon soir, mes amis, et bienvenue a Blooms et Barnacles! Kelly and Dermot discuss Joyce's disastrous sojourn to Paris as a youth and its parallels to Stephen Dedalus' recollections of his time in Paris. Discussion topics include the fin de siècle fashion of French symbolist poets, what exactly mou en civet is, Stephen feeling down and out in a French post office, the mockery of saints in Heaven, Stephen's collection of French pornography, and whether it was Stephen's mother or his nother ment...
C'est le pigeon, Joseph.
March 25, 2020 12:00 - 47 minutes - 32.7 MBStephen Dedalus learns the value of gentlemanly blasphemy in this episode of Blooms & Barnacles. Our hero evades the nets of his oppressors while recalling a conversation with a friend in Paris. Topics include the changing face of Ringsend, the Pigeonhouse, Stephen's epiphanies and the Epiphany, Dermot speaking French, what Jules Michelet doesn't know about women, absinthe, the elaborate blasphemies of Leo Taxil's pornographic pope period, Baphomet, the freemasons, and the greatest trick ever...
C'est le pigeon, Joseph.
March 25, 2020 12:00 - 47 minutes - 32.7 MBStephen Dedalus learns the value of gentlemanly blasphemy in this episode of Blooms & Barnacles. Our hero evades the nets of his oppressors while recalling a conversation with a friend in Paris. Topics include the changing face of Ringsend, the Pigeonhouse, Stephen's epiphanies and the Epiphany, Dermot speaking French, what Jules Michelet doesn't know about women, absinthe, the elaborate blasphemies of Leo Taxil's pornographic pope period, Baphomet, the freemasons, and the greatest trick eve...
Pico della Mirandola like.
March 12, 2020 03:27 - 48 minutes - 33.2 MBThis episode of Blooms & Barnacles takes an esoteric twist as we continue deeper into "Proteus", Ulysses' third episode. Topics include: why Dermot is not impressed with the Library of Alexandria, the length of a mahamanvantara, what the heck a mahamanvantara is, Joyce's youthful rage put into poetry, Joyce's youthful interest in theosophy, Pico della Mirandola's desire to speak to angels, Renaissance magic, hermeticism, , correspondences in Ulysses, and why Dermot thinks Neil de Grasse Tyso...
Pico della Mirandola like.
March 12, 2020 03:27 - 48 minutes - 33.2 MBThis episode of Blooms & Barnacles takes an esoteric twist as we continue deeper into "Proteus", Ulysses' third episode. Topics include: why Dermot is not impressed with the Library of Alexandria, the length of a mahamanvantara, what the heck a mahamanvantara is, Joyce's youthful rage put into poetry, Joyce's youthful interest in theosophy, Pico della Mirandola's desire to speak to angels, Renaissance magic, hermeticism, , correspondences in Ulysses, and why Dermot thinks Neil de Grasse Tyson...
Who is this Dan Occam fellow, anyway?
February 27, 2020 03:48 - 43 minutes - 30.3 MBDermot and Kelly tickle your brain with Stephen Dedalus' thoughts on the Eucharist, William of Occam, hypostasis, consubstantiation, transubstantiation... we've got it all! Other major philosophical queries discussed include: How can so much bread and wine all become Christ's body and blood. Does Stephen really understand hypostasis.When does soup become soup? Is it immoral to impersonate a priest as long as you don't hear someone's confession? Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dubl...
The Complex Life of Lucia Joyce- (w/Linus Ignatius & Llewie Nuñez)
February 13, 2020 04:43 - 1 hour - 52.4 MBLinus Ignatius and Llewie Nuñez starred in the play Lucia Mad as James and Lucia Joyce, respectively, back in their university days. They drop by the podcast for a deep dive into the complex and tragic life of James Joyce's daughter Lucia. We discuss how they prepared to portray the Joyces on-stage, Lucia's genius as an artist, her struggle with mental illness, the stigma she faced within the Joyce family, her influence on Finnegans Wake and the relationship between Joyce and his daughter. ...
The Hundredheaded Rabble
January 30, 2020 03:06 - 47 minutes - 33 MBJoin Kelly and Dermot for a story about James Joyce's youthful rebellion against the literary establishment of Dublin, his obsession with the apocalyptic predictions of a 12th century monk, a tale of psychic horror by W.B. Yeats, Jonathan Swift and Dublin's oldest public library. It's a jam-packed episode! Bonus: Dermot interviews Kelly about completing her blog series about "Proteus." Check out those blog posts here. Double Bonus: The difference between Elisha and Elijah from Chuck Know...
Translating Finnegans Wake into Japanese (w/ Kenji Hayakawa)
January 15, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 50.1 MBKelly and Dermot are joined by translator Kenji Hayakawa to discuss the gargantuan task of translating Finnegans Wake into Japanese. We discuss Naoki Yanase's translation of Joyce's classic novel into Japanese, creating special software Japanese characters to tackle Joyce's various coinages, why Japanese is an ideal language in which to read Finnegans Wake, why only translators truly understand Finnegans Wake, the sadism of Finnegans Wake, the influence of Harriet Shaw Weaver, and how Finne...
Nuncle Richie
January 01, 2020 23:44 - 45 minutes - 31.7 MBStephen contemplates the horror of a visit to his Aunt Sara and Uncle Richie's house. We discuss parallels in this scene with Joyce's real life aunt and uncle, why Joyce's Aunt Josephine gave away her first edition of Ulysses, the intractable Dubliner/culchie divide, middle class pretension, Hiberno-English, Wilde's Requiescat, and the difficulty of parsing conversations written in Joyce's signature stream of consciousness. Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin landmark alive. P...
James Joyce Tower and Museum
December 21, 2019 20:46 - 1 hour - 42.2 MBDermot and Kelly get an insider's view of the Sandycove Martello Tower - the Omphalos of Dublin itself! Maggie Fitzgerald, James Holohan and Andrew Basquille give Blooms & Barnacles a tour of all the museum's nooks and crannies. Discussions include the Joycean historical items on display in the museum, the history of the tower, what really went down the night Joyce stormed out of the museum, how to get a milk can up a ladder, the work of maintaining a Joycean landmark, an original song by An...
Contransmagnificandjewbangtantiality
December 04, 2019 13:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MBLet's have fun with consubstantiality! Kelly and Dermot untangle Stephen Dedalus' thoughts on the dual nature of God the Father and God the Son, the Nicene Creed, the difference between being made and being begotten, the death of Arius, seahorses, a shocking fact about the Star Wars cantina and an even more shocking fact about the symbolism of doves. Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin landmark afloat. Please subscribe! On the blog: Decoding Dedalus: Omphalos Decoding Dedalu...
Ep. 30 - Sweny's Pharmacy Revisited (w/ P.J. Murphy & Jack Walsh)
November 20, 2019 13:00 - 1 hour - 41.7 MBBlooms & Barnacles catches up with P.J. Murphy and Jack Walsh of Sweny's Pharmacy in Dublin, the location where Leopold Bloom bought his lemon soap in Ulysses. In addition to P.J. and Jack, we had the chance to talk to many friend's of Sweny's from all over the world! Topics include the future of Sweny's Pharmacy, why you should visit Sweny's on Christmas, the repatriation of Joyce's remains to Ireland, the purchase of "The Dead" house, a reading from Ulysses in Turkish, the international ap...
Sweny's Pharmacy Revisited (w/ P.J. Murphy & Jack Walsh)
November 20, 2019 13:00 - 1 hour - 41.7 MBBlooms & Barnacles catches up with P.J. Murphy and Jack Walsh of Sweny's Pharmacy in Dublin, the location where Leopold Bloom bought his lemon soap in Ulysses. In addition to P.J. and Jack, we had the chance to talk to many friend's of Sweny's from all over the world! Topics include the future of Sweny's Pharmacy, why you should visit Sweny's on Christmas, the repatriation of Joyce's remains to Ireland, the purchase of "The Dead" house, a reading from Ulysses in Turkish, the international a...
Gaze in Your Omphalos
November 06, 2019 13:00 - 58 minutes - 40.3 MBIn this installment of Blooms & Barnacles, Kelly and Dermot engage in some good, old-fashioned navel gazing. Discussion topics include working class life in Edwardian Dublin, the poetry of Algernon Swinburne the perils of childbirth during the same period, whether Adam and Eve had bellybuttons, and why Kelly thinks people in antiquity had predominantly outie bellybuttons. They also get to the bottom of what exactly the heck an omphalos is and why everyone keeps talking about them. Sweny's ...
Dermot O'Connor
October 23, 2019 12:00 - 53 minutes - 36.7 MBIneluctable modality of the animated! Get to know your favorite Irish host of Blooms and Barnacles - Dermot O Connor. Kelly and Dermot talk about his work as the illustrator of the Blooms and Barnacles blog, how to illustrate a blog about Ulysses when you've never read Ulysses, artistic influences and inspirations, working for Don Bluth and Disney, what every American should know about Ireland and what every Irish person should know about America. Find Dermot's art and animation at www.angry...
Nacheinander and Nebeneinander
October 10, 2019 00:43 - 53 minutes - 37 MBReal talk: why are there no seagulls on Sandymount Strand on Bloomsday? Have we stumbled onto a historical seagull-based conspiracy? Stay tuned to find out! Additionally, we'll also continue discussing how Stephen's walk on the beach is influenced by Berkeleyan idealism, Stephen's perception of space and time, how blind people perceive the world and the Demiurge. Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin landmark afloat. Please subscribe! On the blog: Decoding Dedalus: Ineluctable ...
Ineluctable Modalities
September 25, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 44.4 MBIneluctable modality of the podcast! A discussion of the first paragraph of "Proteus," in which Kelly and Dermot try to make sense of Stephen's untethered inner monologue. We discuss Aristotle's theory of vision, Bishop George's Berkeley's mistrust of sense perception, an interpretation of a famous meme, who Jakob Boehme was and what he meant by "signature of all things." This episode will leave you with a pleasing sense of superiority over your friends. Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marv...
Proteus
September 11, 2019 12:00 - 47 minutes - 32.9 MBThe time has come for Blooms & Barnacles to tackle Ulysses' third episode - "Proteus"! This is Ulysses' first "difficult" episode - jam-packed with multiple languages and obscure references. This week's podcast gives an overview of many of the themes found in "Proteus," including its connection to The Odyssey, the influence of esoteric doctrines on the text and Joyce's love of writing in multiple languages. With guest star, Emma the cat. Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin lan...
A Shout in the Street
August 26, 2019 01:49 - 54 minutes - 37.2 MBBlooms and Barnacles' series on Mr. Deasy and "Nestor" comes to a close with a discussion of the old headmaster's biased views of women's negative impact on history. The relative culpability of four woman accused of causing history's great evils is explored, along with what exactly Stephen means when he refers to God as a "shout in the street." Please consider contributing my friend Nik's Go Fund Me to help cover his expenses for a serious head injury. Any contribution large or small is app...
The Nightmare of History
August 15, 2019 04:41 - 51 minutes - 35.2 MBKelly and Dermot deconstruct the nightmare of history shared by the Irish and the Jews alike. We further explore the intricacies of Mr. Deasy's bigotry and what it tells us about what life was like in 1900's Dublin. Other topics covered include one possible source of Joyce's hatred of Gogarty, the correlation of antisemitism and nationalism and the legend of the Wandering Jew and its influence on Ulysses. Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin landmark afloat. Please subscribe! O...
Perviest Breakfast
August 01, 2019 19:17 - 40 minutes - 28.2 MBPer vias rectas! Mr. Deasy's origins - revealed! Kelly and Dermot dive into Joyce's real life acquaintances and experiences that inspired the gruff headmaster Mr. Deasy in Ulysses' second episode, "Nestor." Topics covered include why Mr. Deasy is so concerned about foot and mouth disease, the relative rebelliousness of voting in favor of the Union and why Mr. Deasy seems to be unaware of his own history, even though he's so proud of it. Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvelous Dublin land...
Croppies Lie Down
July 18, 2019 02:18 - 47 minutes - 32.7 MBThis week, Kelly and Dermot explain the nightmarish history tucked into Stephen's terse rebuttal of Mr. Deasy's weak grasp of Irish history. The passage covered can be found on p. 31 of Kelly's edition of Ulysses (1990 Vintage International). Topics covered include the history of the Orange Order, the Battle of the Diamond, the Planters' Covenant, the power of copyright law over sectarianism, and how all these issues still affect us today. The Derry Girls clip we mentioned: https://www.yout...
Big Words Which Make Us So Unhappy
July 03, 2019 12:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MBHistory is the art of Nestor, so let's immerse ourselves in the nightmare of history, at least the bits covered on p. 31 of Ulysses. Learn about Stephen's hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. Mr. Deasy tries to teach Stephen a history, but (spoiler alert) he doesn't know much about history. Topics covered include Daniel O'Connell, the Orange lodges, the Famine and the Fenians. This episode covers some heavy stuff, but learning new things will make you feel like the woman in this picture....
Fogey and Tory
June 19, 2019 19:00 - 54 minutes - 37.2 MBA character study of the infamous Mr. Deasy, the headmaster of Stephen's school in "Nestor," the second episode of Ulysses. We discuss how Mr. Deasy is a stereotypical Dubliner of his day, as well as his defining characteristics (including his impressive mustache!) Mr. Deasy has a lot to teach us, though he is an old wise man archetype with no wisdom. We talk lots of history and politics in this one! Also, Kelly reveals the worst Scooby Doo character. Sweny's Patreon helps keep this marvel...
Bloomsday in Melbourne (w/ Steve Carey)
June 05, 2019 12:00 - 41 minutes - 28.9 MBA lifelong lover of the works of Joyce, Steve Carey is an organizer of the Bloomsday celebration in Melbourne, Australia. He chats with Kelly about (briefly) meeting Richard Ellmann, the joys and travails of adapting Ulysses for the stage, a heroic battle over trousers in Tom Stoppard's Travesties, and how to get a period hearse for your Bloomsday procession. This episode is not to be missed! Sweny's Patreon is almost to its goal, but they can still use your help. Please subscribe! Learn m...
Averroes and Moses Maimonides
May 22, 2019 12:00 - 52 minutes - 36.4 MBKelly and Dermot tackle the reference to Averroes and Maimonides in "Nestor." Not only does this episode cover these two philosophers and their connection to Aristotle, there's also plenty of discussion on Morris dance, Giordano Bruno and the thematic importance of goth kids. Sweny's Patreon is half-way to its goal, but they can still use your help. Please subscribe! On the blog: Decoding Dedalus: Dark Men of Mien and Movement Social Media: Facebook|Twitter Subscribe to Blooms and Bar...
Dick Feeney
May 08, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 60.7 MBA super-sized Blooms and Barnacles! Dick is a friend of Kelly's and Dermot's who is a lover of Ulysses and the music found throughout the novel. Dick talks about some of his favorite songs that play a role in Ulysses and the history behind them. We also chat about the use of music in "The Dead," the final story in The Dubliners. And because we've never met a tangent we didn't like, we also talk (briefly) about Dick's time in Turkey, Stephen's lost faith, Dick's love of the opera, and griev...
Begrudgery
April 24, 2019 12:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MBWhile begrudge as a verb exists throughout the English speaking world, begrudgery as a noun is peculiar to Ireland. Dermot and Kelly discuss what makes Irish begrudgery a unique phenomena, how it affected Dermot growing up in Ireland, and, of course, how begrudgery influenced James Joyce's life and writing. Further Reading: The Irish Times on begrudgery here and here. Sweny's Patreon is almost to its goal, but they can still use your help. Please subscribe! Social Media: Facebook|Twitte...
A Fox Burying His Grandmother
April 10, 2019 12:00 - 40 minutes - 28.2 MBDermot and Kelly take on a point of vexation and consternation for any Ulysses fan: what the actual heck does Stephen's riddle mean? What symbolism lies within? Does he just like torturing children? We throw in some extra John Milton for good measure. Sweny's Patreon is half-way to its goal, but they can still use your help. Please subscribe! On the blog: Stephen's Riddle Weep No More: Lycidas in Nestor Social Media: Facebook|Twitter Subscribe to Blooms and Barnacles: iTunes| Google...
The Nostalgia Trap (w/ Tom O'Leary)
March 27, 2019 12:00 - 52 minutes - 36.4 MBKelly and Dermot welcome Tom O'Leary back to the podcast to talk about the allure of nostalgia. Tom and Dermot talk about what it's actually like to be an Irish person who left their home country to seek their fortune abroad, nostalgia for their past, Americans' nostalgia for an Ireland that never was, and how Joyce's nostalgia for Ireland shaped his work. Sweny's Patreon is half-way to its goal, but they can still use your help. Please subscribe! Social Media: Facebook|Twitter Subscribe...
Wings of Excess
March 13, 2019 12:00 - 52 minutes - 35.9 MB"One more victory like that and we're done for." Kelly and Dermot discuss the ancient Greek warrior king Pyrrhus and his relation to the excesses of the 20th century. In addition to ancient Greeks, Vico and figroll-munching children, the impact of the Easter Rising of 1916 and World War I on James Joyce and Ulysses are also discussed. Sweny's Patreon is half-way to its goal, but they can still use your help. Please subscribe! On the Blog: Pyrrhus: A Disappointed Bridge Social Media: Fac...
Kelly Bryan
February 27, 2019 13:00 - 46 minutes - 21.3 MBOn a Very Special Episode of the Blooms & Barnacles podcast - it's Dermot's first time leading an episode. He chose to interview his co-host and founder of the podcast, Kelly. He talks to her about why she's the one to teach the world about Ulysses, her insane dream to stage "Circe," her globetrotting years and how she got invited to a party by the Lord Mayor of Dublin. A different vibe than our normal show, but don't worry, it's the good kind of weird. Sweny's Patreon is half-way to its g...
Nestor
February 13, 2019 12:00 - 45 minutes - 20.9 MBWelcome to Episode 10, our first episode covering episode two of Ulysses, "Nestor." Kelly and Dermot discuss the political philosophy of Giambattista Vico and his influence on James Joyce, Homeric parallels between King Nestor and Mr. Deasy, and Dermot's artistic inspiration for his cartoon version of Mr. Deasy. For more information on Vico's political philosophy, we recommend the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. On the Blog: Ulysses & The Odyssey: Nestor Social Media: Facebook|Twit...
Remorse of Conscience
January 30, 2019 20:00 - 58 minutes - 27 MBKelly and Dermot discuss the recurring phrase "Agenbite of Inwit" and why Stephen repeats it over and over on June the sixteenth. Other topics included in the discussion are Buck Mulligan as nagging conscience, the gothic horror of growing up Irish, Catholic guilt and whether or not Stephen would have been better off praying at his mother's bedside. Read the Trieste notebook for free here. Consider subscribing to Sweny's Pharmacy's Patreon here. On the Blog: Agenbite of Inwit Social Med...
Heresiarchs
January 16, 2019 23:17 - 43 minutes - 19.9 MBKelly and Dermot get deep talking about arch heresies, alchemy, Buck Mulligan's blasphemy, James Joyce's love of sacred music, and what the Council of Trent had in common with the classic film Footloose. Listen to The Mass for Pope Marcellus. For more info on gnosticism, Dermot recommends The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels. On the Blog: Decoding Dedalus: Heresies in "Telemachus" Social Media: Facebook|Twitter Subscribe to Blooms and Barnacles: iTunes| Google Play Music| Stitcher ...
In Defense of Dorkiness
December 28, 2018 02:36 - 46 minutes - 21.4 MBKelly and Dermot discuss Stephen's tower-mate, the Englishman Haines. Haines was based on a real-life roommate of James Joyce's - Dermot Chenevix Trench. Did Joyce's personal dislike of Trench color his characterization in the novel? What's up with that black panther mentioned in 'Telemachus?' Why does Dermot (our host) have bad memories of learning Irish in school? These questions and more will be answered. Other topics include: Irish identity in 1904 and now, Joyce's bad attitude, and Goga...
Tea for the Tower-Men
December 13, 2018 20:04 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBKelly and Dermot talk about the allegory of the old milk woman who visits Stephen and the boys in the Martello Tower. Topics covered include Hiberno-English, the importance of tea in Irish culture and who the hell Mother Grogan was. On the Blog: The Women of Ulysses: Mother Grogan and the Milk Woman Social Media: Facebook|Twitter Subscribe to Blooms and Barnacles: iTunes | Google Play Music | Stitcher Further Reading: The full lyrics of the song "Ned Grogan" can be found here. More ...
Sweny's Pharmacy
November 29, 2018 20:10 - 58 minutes - 40.5 MBKelly and Dermot sit down with P.J. Murphy and Jack Walsh, two volunteers who are keeping the legacy of Sweny's Pharmacy alive. Sweny's, of course, is the location where Leopold Bloom bought his lemon soap. We talk the history of Sweny's, their Joyce connection and the challenges of preserving Joycean landmarks in 21st century Dublin. P.J. even shares a song at the end. Sweny's on the Internet: Website | Facebook | Twitter Subscribe to Sweny's Patreon to give a monthly donation. Subscri...
Introibo Ad Altare Dei
November 15, 2018 10:05 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MBKelly and Dermot talk about page #1 of Ulysses, taking a deep dive into the symbolism of the Catholic Mass in the opening scene. There's lots of talk about blasphemy, transubstatiation, saints and why Kelly was a terrible altar server back in the day. We finish off with wild speculation about why kids don't learn Latin and Greek these days. On the Blog: Ulysses CCD - Mulligan Mocks Mass Social Media: Facebook|Twitter Subscribe to Blooms and Barnacles: iTunes | Google Play Music | Stitc...
Joyce v. Gogarty
October 24, 2018 20:14 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBIn this episode we tackle the falling out between James Joyce and Oliver St John Gogarty, the origins of the character Buck Mulligan, what really happened in the Martello tower, blasphemous poetry and how Joyce found his sense of humor. On the Blog: Say 'Hello' to Martello Towers Who was the Real Buck Mulligan? Poetry in Ulysses: The Ballad of Joking Jesus Social Media: Facebook|Twitter Further Reading: Ellmann, R. (1959). James Joyce. New York: Oxford University Press. Gogarty, O. ...